:-NRLF 


;  THE 

YOUNG  MAN'S  CHANCES 

IN 

SOUTH  AND  CENTRAL 
AMERICA 


WILLIAM  A.  REID 


THE  YOUNG  MAN'S  CHANCES  IN 

SOUTH  AND  CENTRAL 

AMERICA 


A  STUDY  OF  OPPORTUNITY 


BY 

WILLIAM  A.   REID 

FOR  TWELVE  YEARS  ASSOCIATED  WITH  LATIN  PEOPLES, 

SIX  TEARS  IN  THEIR  SERVICE;  AND  IN  COMMERCIAL 

INVESTIGATIONS  FROM  THE  RIO  GRANDE  TO 

THE  STRAITS  OF  MAGELLAN 


PUBLISHED  BY  THE 

SOUTHERN  COMMERCIAL  CONGRESS 

WASHINGTON,  D.  C. 


COPTKIGHT  1914 
BT 

WILLIAM  A.  RBID 


COMPOSED  AND  PRINTED  AT  THE 

WAVERLY  PRESS 

BT  THE  WILLIAMS  &  WILKINS  COMPANY 

BALTIMORE,  U.  S.  A. 


FOREWORD 

BY  DIRECTOR  GENERAL  BARRETT  OF  THE  PAN-AMERICAN 
UNION 

It  is  a  pleasure  to  comply  with  the  request  of  the 
author  that  I  should  write  a  "Foreword"  for  "The 
Young  Man's  Chances  in  South  and  Central  America." 
Ever  since  I  first  became  interested  in  Latin  America 
as  a  result  of  being  appointed  one  of  the  United  States 
delegates  to  the  Second  Pan-American  Conference 
held  in  Mexico  City  in  1901, 1  have  been  a  firm  believer 
in  the  future  of  our  sister  American  Republics  and  a 
sincere  admirer  of  their  peoples  and  institutions.  My 
first  impressions  have  been  confirmed  in  later  experi- 
ences as  United  States  Minister  to  the  Argentine 
Republic,  to  Panama,  and  to  Colombia,  and  now  as 
the  executive  officer  of  the  Pan-American  Union. 
These  personal  references  are  made  simply  to  convince 
the  reader  of  this  book  that  my  opinion  of  it  is  not 
that  of  a  superficial  observer.  After  looking  carefully 
through  the  proof  sheets,  I  am  frank  to  state  that  I 
have  found  the  subject  matter  not  only  interesting 
and  instructive  but  full  of  valuable  information  to 
all  persons  who  are  watching  the  development  ol  Latin 
America. 

The  Pan-American  Union,  as  the  international 
organization  of  all  the  American  republics,  devoted 
to  the  development  of  good  understanding,  friendship, 
peace  and  commerce  among  all  of  them,  is  glad  to  en- 
courage the  publication  of  books  of  this  character, 

3 


321465 


4  FOREWORD 

even  though  its  own  budget  does  not  permit  it  to 
print  them  under  its  own  auspices;  and  I  congratulate 
the  Southern  Commercial  Congress  and  its  Managing 
Director,  Dr.  Clarence  J.  Owens,  on  cooperating  with 
the  author  in  making  this  book  available  to  the  general 
public. 

Mr.  Reid  has  held  for  several  years  a  responsible 
position  on  the  staff  of  the  Pan-American  Union,  and 
has  enjoyed  a  remarkable  experience,  not  only  in 
traveling  all  over  Latin  America,  but  in  official  con- 
nections with  Latin-American  governments  and  peo- 
ples, which  ably  equips  him  to  prepare  a  work  of  this 
kind. 

JOHN  BARRETT. 
Pan-American  Union 

Washington,  D.  C. 
July  10,  1914 


PREFATORY  NOTE 

BY   THE   MANAGING   DIRECTOR   OF   THE   SOUTHERN   COM- 
MERCIAL  CONGRESS 

The  activities  of  the  Southern  Commercial  Congress 
lie  along  several  well-defined  lines.  The  Congress 
promotes  and  encourages  agricultural,  commercial, 
industrial,  and  economic  development  by  studying 
and  publishing  modern  methods  and  improvements. 
Its  several  commissions  sent  to  European  countries 
and  to  Latin  America  have  already  been  productive 
of  valuable  results. 

In  the  field  of  foreign  trade  the  practical  work  of 
the  Congress  has  been,  first,  in  the  line  of  education, 
by  endeavoring  to  have  the  geography  of  the  Western 
Hemisphere  taught  in  our  schools  and  re-studied  by 
our  business  leaders;  to  divert  the  many  students  of 
Latin  America,  who  leave  their  countries  to  enjoy 
the  educational  advantages  of  Europe,  to  the  colleges 
and  universities  of  the  United  States;  to  use  legitimately 
the  press  of  this  country  and  of  Latin  America,  the 
many  government  publications,  official  magazines  and 
other  journals  in  educational  propaganda,  bringing 
about  a  better  understanding  between  the  peoples 
of  the  two  great  continents;  and  to  have  Spanish  in 
particular  but  also  Portuguese  and  French  studied  in 
our  schools.  To  this  end  the  Congress  has  not  only 
used  all  the  means  at  its  command,  but  has  disseminated 
its  appeal  through  the  United  States  Bureau  of  Edu- 
cation. 


6  PREFATORY   NOTE 

With  the  announcement  to  the  world  of  the  open- 
ing of  the  Panama  Canal  there  are  to  come  adjust- 
ments in  transportation  that  may  fluctuate  and  be 
unsteady  for  a  period,  but  must  ultimately  become 
established  along  lines  of  genuine  economic  advantage. 
The  South  is  in  a  position,  on  the  simple  basis  of 
transportation,  understood  by  all  business  men,  to 
cut  distances  in  half  by  way  of  the  Panama  Canal, 
with  many  of  the  great  ports  of  the  East  and  the  West. 
I  am  not  one  of  those  who  expect  magic  advantage  to 
come  immediately  to  the  Southern  States,  but  I  have 
the  conviction  that  the  physical  advantages  in  coast 
line  and  navigable  streams,  together  with  the  proxim- 
ity of  Latin  America,  insures  the  extension  and  use 
of  our  Gulf  and  South  Atlantic  ports,  the  building 
up  of  our  cities,  and  the  general  prosperity  of  our 
people.  The  Gulf  ports  that  during  the  centuries 
have  been,  in  a  sense,  in  a  pocket  of  the  great  sea,  are 
now  upon  a  highway  of  world  commerce. 

It  is,  therefore,  with  a  high  degree  of  satisfaction 
that  the  Southern  Commercial  Congress  places  this 
little  volume  before  young  men  of  America;  not  that 
it  may  lure  them  from  home,  but  on  the  contrary, 
that  the  young  man  may  be  apprised  of  the  demand 
for  such  services  that  he  can  render;  of  the  opportuni- 
ties that  lie  in  international  exchange  of  commodities, 
and  of  the  part  he  may  play,  whether  within  the  home- 
land or  on  foreign  soil.  In  our  development  the 
young  man  takes  a  leading  role,  and  the  slogan  of 
the  Southern  Commercial  Congress  becomes  especially 
appropriate,  "A  Greater  Nation  Through  a  Greater 
South."  CLARENCE  J.  OWENS. 


AUTHOR'S  PREFACE 

Those  of  us  who  have  long  been  associated  with 
international  development  are  aware  of  the  vast  number 
of  young  men  who  are  constantly  seeking  information 
about  positions  and  opportunities  in  that  field  of  enter- 
prise. There  is  a  dearth  of  matter  on  the  subject  in 
connected  form. 

We  Americans  read  more,  travel  farther,  and  trade 
more  extensively  with  the  peoples  of  the  world  than 
ever  in  our  history.  The  ambitious  young  man's  area 
of  opportunity  expands  to  keep  pace  with  the  strides 
of  commerce;  and  the  object  of  this  little  volume  is  to 
call  to  his  attention  some  of  the  new  and  wonderful 
fields  of  labor  that  are  opening  to  the  enterprising  world; 
where,  as  in  the  days  of  our  own  "westward  ho,"  the 
young  man  is  ever  to  be  found  in  the  forefront.  What 
are  his  prospects  of  success?  May  they  not  be  meas- 
ured in  some  degree  at  least  by  the  accomplishments 
of  the  "advance  guard?"  Let  us  reason  together  in  the 
pages  of  this  book,  which  is  not  a  guide;  but  rather,  it  is 
hoped,  a  means  of  awakening  deeper  study  of  possi- 
bilities as  well  as  pitfalls. 

The  grasping  of  Latin-American  opportunities  does 
not  necessarily  imply  permanent  residence  away  from 
one's  country.  To  follow  electrical  engineering  in 
Chile,  for  instance,  one  should  reside  near  his  zone  of 
employment;  the  selling  of  North  American  goods  in 
Latin-American  countries  presupposes  periodical  travels 
throughout  those  Republics;  while  the  importer  of  the 

7 


8 


latter's  products  may  live  in  any  section  of  the  United 
States. 

Grateful  acknowledgment  is  hereby  tendered  to  the 
Pan-American  Union  for  material  furnished,  and  to  the 
numerous  persons  as  well  as  to  the  various  periodicals 
which  the  author  has  taken  the  liberty  of  quoting. 
Names  of  the  gentlemen  and  of  the  journals  in  question 
are  given  in  connection  with  the  quotation;  and  it  is 
believed  that  this  data  will  materially  strengthen  the 
work,  while  the  appendix,  containing  names  of  many 
corporations  engaged  in  international  enterprise,  will 
put  one  in  close  touch  with  actual  work. 

W.  A.  R. 
Washington,  D.  C., 
July,  1914 


NORTH  AMERICA— SOUTH  AMERICA 

Cutting  asunder  the  American  continents — finding 
the  long-sought  route  to  India — promises  to  revolu- 
tionize commercial  and  industrial  conditions.  All  the 
world  looks  and  marvels  at  our  success  at  Panama;  the 
changing  arteries  of  commerce  become  international 
questions.  North  American  capital  and  brains  and 
muscle,  aided  by  faithful  and  even  heroic  laborers  from 
sixty-eight  countries  or  forty  nations,  have  builded  the 
greatest  engineering  work  the  world  has  known.  We 
have  divided  the  continents  in  order  to  become  more 
closely  united. 

In  the  Western  Hemisphere,  Saxon  and  Latin  have 
not  known  each  other  well.  Visits  have  ever  been 
inconvenient  or  difficult  to  make;  distances  are  great 
and  travel  facilities  have  been  few.  Today,  both  of 
these  obstacles  are  being  removed  by  faster  ships  and 
shorter  routes;  indeed,  our  very  thoughts  are  exchanged 
through  the  air.  A  better  understanding  is  fast 
approaching;  interest  is  quickened;  more  intimate 
acquaintance  brings  a  knowledge  of  each  other's  require- 
ments. 

The  South  American  forests,  plains  and  mountains 
are  teeming  with  man's  necessities.  On  the  other 
hand,  North  American  factories  are  busy  but  in  many 
lines  an  overproduction  is  causing  concern.  Fair 
exchange  then  is  the  natural  solution  of  these  problems 
of  supply  and  demand. 


CONTENTS 

PREFACE 7 

EXPERIENCES  AND  OBSERVATIONS 13 

AMONG  THOSE  IN  THE  FIELD 21 

ABOUT  POSITIONS  AND  OPPORTUNITIES 

Agriculture,  labor  skilled  and  unskilled 26 

Engineering  and  constructive  professions 36 

Salesmanship — trifling  matters  overlooked 46 

Teaching — scholarships 57 

Journalism — correspondence — printing  enterprises. ...  64 

Manufacturing 69 

Hotel  business 75 

Law — insurance 80 

Banks — commercial  intelligence 84 

Medicine — dentistry — hospitals — nursing 87 

•  Miscellaneous  opportunities 98 

Salaries  and  living  expenses  in  Brazil  typical ....  104 

Employment  agreement — sample  form 105 

STORIES  OP  SUCCESS  AND  OF  FAILURE 110 

A  PLEA  FOR  THE  SPANISH  AND  PORTUGUESE  LANGUAGES  , .  120 
SOCIAL  ENVIRONMENTS — WHAT  LATINS  SAY  ABOUT  THEM- 
SELVES   123 

THE  YOUNG  LATIN  AMERICAN — STUDENT  MOVEMENT 129 

FACTORS  IN  DEVELOPMENT: 

Opinions  of  eminent  men 133 

Activity  of  Chambers  of  Commerce 140 

The  Farquhar  and  other  Syndicates 144 

Uniting  the  Americas  by  Rail 147 

Motor  Transportation — aiding  Railways 152 

Commercial  Re"sume* 156 

PAN-AMERICAN  UNION — OTHER  SOURCES  OF  INFORMATION  .  158 

CONCLUSION 162 

APPENDIX — NAMES  OF  MANY  FIRMS  EMPLOYING  NORTH 

AMERICANS 164 

11 


EXPERIENCES  AND  OBSERVATIONS 

In  considering  the  young  man's  business  outlook  in 
Latin-American  countries  I  do  not  believe  that  the  era 
of  opportunity  in  the  United  States  is  waning.  On 
the  contrary,  the  position  of  our  country  as  a  great 
world  power  is  responsible  for  a  wider  and  constantly 
broadening  field  of  usefulness  which  lies  open  to  young 
Americans. 

The  growth  of  international  commerce  is  creating 
new  careers;  the  American  commercial  invasion  reaches 
around  the  earth:  far  up  the  Himalayas  I  saw 
the  stars  and  stripes  waving  over  tea  plantations; 
American  machinery  has  penetrated  the  "Vale  of 
Kashmir;"  Australia's  new  capital  city  was  planned 
by  a  Chicago  architect,  who  surpassed  worldwide  com- 
petition; on  Chinese  rivers  we  ride  in  ancient  sampans 
propelled  by  modern  American  motors;  the  Bolivian 
congress  sits  in  chairs  made  in  Michigan;  an  American 
rubber  syndicate  has  transported  its  factory  to  the 
jungles  of  Brazil;  South  Africa  called  from  Panama  our 
famous  "conqueror  of  plagues"  to  save  thousands  of 
miners  of  the  Rand;  a  great  Italian  scholar  tells  us  that 
the  annual  return  of  half  a  million  of  his  countrymen 
from  the  United  States  is  working  wonderful  civic 
reforms  in  Italy;  indeed,  it  is  difficult  to  go  beyond  the 
range  of  American  genius  and  commercial  activity. 

Thousands  of  young  men  all  over  our  land  are  stand- 
ing upon  the  threshold  of  a  career.  Thoughtful  ones 
are  debating  long  and  earnestly  the  subject  of  what 

13 


14         CHANCES   IN   SOUTH   AND   CENTRAL   AMERICA 

city,  what  state,  or  what  land  shall  be  the  scene  of  their 
labors.  The  old  adage  of  the  poet  being  without  honor 
in  his  own  country  may  confront  many  a  gifted  youth 
and,  wisely  or  unwisely,  the  thought  causes  him  to  cast 
his  lot  far  from  home  environments.  Many  of  those  who 
have  already  embarked  upon  the  sea  of  business  are 
dissatisfied  with  their  progress;  fierce  competition  in 
most  all  lines  of  endeavor  confront  today's  young  man, 
and  the  question  of  finding  the  field  of  labor  best  suited 
to  one's  natural  talents  is  a  most  trying  problem. 

Very  broadly  speaking,  the  United  States  of  North 
America  are  made,  while  most  of  the  Latin-American 
countries  are  largely  in  the  making.  The  addition  to 
our  population  of  more  than  four  thousand  people  daily 
is  pushing  the  center  of  human  density  to  the  uttermost 
parts  of  our  country;  as  a  whole  we  now  have  about 
thirty-two  persons  to  every  square  mile  of  territory. 

In  several  of  the  Latin-American  countries  the  popu- 
lation is  as  low  as  three  people  per  square  mile,  such  as 
Bolivia;  or  Argentina  and  Brazil,  with  six  and  seven 
people,  respectively,  for  each  square  mile  of  area. 
Were  Brazil,  for  instance,  as  thickly  populated  as 
Germany  the  former  would  have  something  like 
935,000,000  instead  of  its  22,000,000  people. 

The  conquest  of  the  tropics  has  become  a  reality,  and 
life  within  the  torrid  zone  is  robbed  of  many  of  its 
terrors;  modern  sanitation  and  medical  science  have 
made  Havana  and  Panama  and  Rio  de  Janeiro  and 
Santos  and  Vera  Cruz  and  Limon  pleasant  and  several 
of  them  even  delightful  places  in  which  to  live.  Further- 
more, the  dividing  of  the  continents  is  attracting  uni- 
versal attention  to  the  countries  lying  south  of  the  new 


EXPERIENCES   AND   OBSERVATIONS  15 

waterway,  as  well  as  to  those  bordering  the  "American 
Mediterranean."  Indeed,  a  leading  journal  declares 
that  "the  Panama  Canal  is  going  to  open  an  era  in  the 
commerce  and  international  relations  of  the  countries 
of  the  world  like  that  created  by  the  discovery  of 
America,  and  it  may  prove  even  more  momentous  and 
dramatic." 

During  my  first  visit  to  Latin-American  countries 
about  twelve  years  ago,  the  legations  and  consulates 
of  my  own  country  were  strictly  avoided  Inasmuch  as 
the  gentlemen  who  preside  over  the  latter  offices  are 
commercial  representatives  and,  among  other  things, 
are  charged  with  the  promotion  of  trade,  the  idea  under- 
lying such  a  statement  may  at  first  thought  appear 
absurd  for  one  who,  like  myself,  was  in  the  field  to  study 
commercial  conditions. 

Neither  did  I  carry  letters  of  introduction  from 
officials  or  friends;  I  was  simply  an  ordinary  traveler 
in  strange  lands,  and  above  all  things  desired  to  see 
and  to  mingle  with  the  common  and  industrial  classes 
in  city  and  country;  a  course  which  I  believed  would 
give  me  a  better  understanding  of  the  people  and  their 
characteristics  and  then,  too,  the  opinions  that  might 
be  formed  would  be  derived  from  intercourse  with  the 
masses  rather  than  with  those  of  social  and  official 
position. 

In  many  countries  visited  I  made  it  a  duty  to  find  out 
where  the  American  legations  and  consulates  were 
situated  and  to  view  them  externally  Occasionally  in 
hotels  and  other  public  places  the  American  officials 
were  pointed  out  to  me  but,  as  above  stated,  I  did  not 
make  the  acquaintance  of  any  of  them. 


16        CHANCES   IN   SOUTH  AND   CENTRAL  AMERICA 

Like  every  loyal  citizen,  I  felt  proud  of  my  country 
but  I  made  no  special  effort  to  disclose  my  nationality. 
On  numerous  occasions  I  was  taken  for  an  Englishman, 
at  other  times  for  a  Scotchman;  on  another  occasion  an 
Argentina  policeman  declared  me  an  Argentine,  and 
therefore  not  entitled  to  pass  into  a  certain  building 
where  some  foreigners  were  holding  a  reception;  on 
still  another  occasion  some  North  Americans  mistook 
me  for  a  circus  man  because  some  of  my  baggage  bore 
a  London  mark — Ludgate  Circus — the  name  of  a  well 
known  section  of  the  English  metropolis. 

These  little  incidents  are  merely  mentioned  to  shew 
that  I  had  no  "pull"  or  introduction  in  meeting  the 
people  among  whom  I  sojourned.  I  found  that  the 
foreigner  can  attend  the  sessions  of  a  country's  congress 
or  mingle  with  the  peons  in  the  marts  of  trade  without 
notice  or  hindrance,  and  in  so  doing  obtain  a  far  better 
insight  into  life  and  conditions  than  by  meeting  only 
the  governing  classes. 

On  succeeding  trips  I  have  had  the  pleasure  of  know- 
ing many  high  officials  and  prominent  citizens  in  their 
offices  and  in  their  homes. 

TYPICAL  EXAMPLES   OF  THE  EARNEST  LATIN 

As  typical  examples  of  the  earnestness  with  which 
the  South  American  business  man  is  preparing  to  handle 
products  from  the  United  States  I  have  in  mind,  first  a 
business  firm  in  the  heart  of  the  country,  La  Paz. 
This  company  is  acting  as  sales  agent  in  Bolivia  for  a 
well-known  North  American  product.  The  head  of  the 
firm  has  paid  two  visits  to  the  United  States  and  on  both 
occasions  he  remained  several  months;  he  studied  the 


EXPERIENCES   AND    OBSERVATIONS  17 

manufacture  of  the  goods  by  spending  much  time  in  the 
factory;  he  noted  the  selling  plans,  the  methods  of  pay- 
ment and  in  fact  he  made  himself  thoroughly  familiar 
with  the  goods  and  their  distribution,  and  he  is  now 
applying  this  practical  knowledge  to  sales  in  his  own 
country.  In  conversation  with  him  in  his  place  of 
business  I  was  glad  to  learn  that  he  is  having  marked 
success  in  introducing  North  American  goods. 

Another  example :  In  a  city  of  Argentina  a  young  busi- 
ness man  has  taken  the  agency  for  a  certain  make  of 
automobiles.  Before  doing  so,  however,  he  visited  the 
factory  in  the  United  States  and  spent  months  in 
acquainting  himself  with  the  various  departments  of 
the  automobile  business,  and  it  is  almost  needless  to 
say  that  he  is  an  authority  in  his  section  of  country,  and 
is  meeting  with  success  in  introducing  American 
machines. 

A  native  engineer  with  whom  I  became  acquainted 
in  Peru  furnishes  another  example.  He  completed  his 
professional  training  in  the  United  States  and  is  now 
actively  pushing  the  sale  of  North  American  instruments 
in  West  Coast  countries. 

A  Chilean  gentleman  with  whom  I  traveled  offers 
still  another  illustration.  He  is  selling  North  American 
paints  in  various  parts  of  South  America.  He,  too,  has 
been  to  the  United  States  to  study  the  manufacture  of 
his  specialty,  and  incidentally  to  see  and  observe  our 
business  life  and  customs. 

These  typical  examples  are  only  a  few  of  the  many  that 
might  be  cited  as  tending  to  show  how  thoroughly  in 
earnest  is  the  Latin- American  business  man.  He 
prepares  to  do  business  with  us  by  spending  time  and 


18         CHANCES   IN   SOUTH   AND    CENTRAL   AMERICA 

money  to  meet  us  and  to  study  our  methods.  Are 
our  business  men  devoting  a  corresponding  amount  of 
energy  toward  cultivating  the  Latin-American  field? 
I  have  found  the  Latin  business  man  more  cordial,  in 
my  opinion,  than  is  the  case  in  North  America.  This 
in  a  measure  might  be  accounted  for  from  the  fact 
that  the  former  is  not  so  constantly  preyed  upon  and 
even  annoyed  as  is  often  the  case  in  the  United  States. 
Be  that  as  it  may,  I  am  sure,  after  years  of  business 
association  with  the  Latin  American,  that  a  gentleman 
with  proper  credentials  will  receive  a  welcome  and  the 
products  he  has  to  offer  a  careful  consideration. 

EXPERIENCE   OF   THE   DENTIST 

In  a  certain  South  American  city  there  is  a  young 
native  practicing  dentistry;  he  received  his  professional 
training  in  the  United  States.  Returning  to  his  native 
city  he  opened  an  office  and  requiring  certain  additional 
instruments,  consulted  the  catalog  of  an  American 
supply  house,  sent  a  draft  with  full  description  of  the 
instruments  desired.  He  waited  two  months  and  then 
to  his  dismay  received  a  letter  returning  his  draft  with 
the  information  that  the  particular  firm  did  not  care 
for  foreign  business.  Here  is  an  instance  with  cash  in 
hand,  yet  the  order  was  declined.  Had  the  firm  even 
been  willing  to  fill  the  order  or  volunteered  the  infor- 
mation of  some  other  house  doing  foreign  business  the 
general  result  might  not  have  been  prejudical  to  Ameri- 
can interests.  The  young  dentist  told  me  of  the 
occurrence  and  doubtless  made  it  known  to  his  asso- 
ciates, which  fact  of  course  did  not  help  to  increase  our 
trade  in  that  city. 


EXPERIENCES   AND   OBSERVATIONS  19 

PANAMA   HAT  INCIDENT 

This  little  incident  occurred  at  a  small  Peruvian  port, 
a  p'ace  famous  for  its  Panama  hats.  When  a  ship 
anchors  off  the  town  native  merchants  come  out  in 
large  numbers  and  climbing  aboard  ship  display  their 
products  upon  the  decks.  A  day  and  a  hah7  had  been 
spent  pleasantly  at  the  port,  business  had  been  trans- 
acted between  ship  and  shore  and  the  hour  of  departure 
was  at  hand.  Two  men  from  the  United  States,  how- 
ever, had  in  their  possession  two  extremely  fine  hats  for 
which  they  had  not  paid  the  merchant.  The  latter 
demanded  his  price,  which  was  reasonable,  but  the  two 
American  sharpers  declined  to  give  up  the  hats  or  pay 
more  than  a  paltry  sum.  Hot  words  ensued,  and  for  a 
time  it  looked  as  if  a  quarrel  and  perhaps  a  general 
fight  between  Americans  and  Peruvians  would  be  the 
result.  The  former  retained  the  hats  and  it  was  not 
until  Peruvian  officers  arrived  upon  the  scene  and 
threatened  the  Americans  with  arrest  and  imprisonment 
that  they  relinquished  them  to  the  owner.  The  ship 
departed  amid  jeers  of  the  natives;  and  it  is  very  prob- 
able that  other  Americans  who  go  there,  however  good 
be  their  intentions,  will  not  be  received  with  open  arms, 
at  least  not  until  the  hat  incident  is  forgotten.  Such 
occurrences  do  great  harm  to  legitimate  trade. 

DISRESPECT   FOR   RELIGIOUS   BELIEFS 

Another  source  of  friction  which  we  frequently  see  in 
Latin  America  is  the  apparent  disrespect  which  some 
North  Americans  show  toward  religious  beliefs  and 
unwritten  laws.  As  an  illustration  I  recall  an  occur- 


20         CHANCES   IN   SOUTH   AND    CENTRAL   AMERICA 

rence  that  took  place  in  one  of  the  capital  cities.  It  was 
during  the  annual  carnival  season  and  the  whole  city 
was  in  gala  array.  The  cathedrals,  as  is  usual  on  such 
occasions,  were  filled  with  early  morning  worshipers. 
I,  with  several  friends,  went  to  one  of  the  oldest 
churches.  One  of  my  friends  had  his  wife  and  daugh- 
ter with  him,  the  ladies  wearing  large  hats  with  waving 
plumes.  Now,  the  Spanish  mantilla  is  quite  generally 
worn  by  South  Americanl  adies  when  within  a  house  of 
worship — more  general  of  course  in  some  countries  than 
in  others — or  the  head  must  be  bared.  The  ladies  from 
the  United  States  knowing  well  the  custom,  defiantly 
wore  their  waving  plumes  into  the  sacred  building, 
although  the  attendants  at  the  entrance  kindly  request- 
ed them  to  remove  their  hats.  This  they  declined  to 
do,  remarking  they  were  independent  and  did  not  believe 
in  such  old  fogy  customs.  One  of  the  fathers,  however, 
came  down  to  our  little  party  and  demanded  that  the 
hats  be  removed,  which  the  ladies  refused  to  do.  We 
left  the  church  but  not  before  the  incident  attracted 
considerable  attention  and  had  called  down  upon  all  of 
us  Americans  many  protests  and  even  threats. 

What  do  these  little  incidents  mean?  Trifling  in 
themselves?  Yes,  but  when  multiplied  proving  a 
difficult  or  even  an  insurmountable  barrier  to  the  up- 
building of  commercial  relations  between  the  peoples 
of  the  American  continents. 


AMONG  THOSE  IN  THE  FIELD 

The  men  who  have  gone  or  are  going  from  the 
United  States  to  the  various  Latin-American  countries 
may  be  divided  into  two  general  classes:  those  with 
capital  and  those  with  little  or  no  capital.  Of  the 
former  this  book  will  have  little  to  say,  because  men  of 
great  wealth  know  where  their  riches  will  bring  the 
greatest  returns,  and  many  of  them  are  looking  to  the 
virgin  fields  of  Latin  America. 

To  young  men  with  even  small  capital  there  will 
unfold  countless  opportunities  for  reasonably  safe  and 
profitable  investments  and  business  ventures,  but  if 
one  is  not  familiar  with  Latin-American  life  and  condi- 
tions it  would  be  wiser  for  him  to  form  a  connection,  as 
employee  or  otherwise,  with  some  firm  already  in  the 
field.  Such  an  arrangement  would  afford  facilities  for 
investigating  on  one's  own  account  and  might  event- 
ually lead  to  a  permanent  business;  or  better  still,  a 
tour  of  investigation  to  the  several  Latin-American 
countries  is  now  quite  convenient  and  may  be  made  at  a 
reasonably  small  outlay.  Ordinary  traveling  salesmen, 
who  frequently  entertain  prospective  customers  and 
incur  other  necessary  expenses,  average  from  $10  to 
$15  per  day  for  Latin-American  traveling  expenses. 
A  man  traveling  alone  and  by  being  very  economical 
may  make  a  trip  for  half  the  daily  expenses  named,  or 
even  less. 

The  average  man,  the  man  with  the  college  education, 
the  specialist  with  experience,  or  even  the  young  man 

21 


22         CHANCES   IN   SOUTH   AND   CENTRAL  AMERICA 

with  academic  training  but  with  a  determination  to 
succeed,  may  find  his  field  in  one  of  the  twenty  Latin- 
American  Republics.  If  he  seeks  the  less  developed 
sections  he  will  find  competition  far  less  strenuous  than 
in  the  United  States,  and  if  he  proves  worthy  the  field 
of  advancement  is  unlimited 

A  person  without  capital,  however,  should  not  leave 
home  with  the  expectation  of  securing  a  position  after 
arriving  in  a  Latin  country.  Occasionally  a  place  may 
be  "picked  up"  but  those  of  any  consequence  are  not 
so  easily  found,  and  if  found,  the  salaries  are  usually 
disappointing  and  living  conditions  unduly  expensive. 
The  practical  method  of  securing  a  position  is  to  study 
the  activity  in  the  special  field  in  which  one  would 
labor  and  then  apply  to  our  great  corporations  engaged 
in  that  class  of  work. 

First,  let  us  consider  the  North  Americans  in  official 
and  semi-official  employ.  If  the  reader  could  overlook 
Latin  America  he  would  see  many  of  his  countrymen 
holding  excellent  positions  under  the  several  govern- 
ments. Take  a  glimpse  of  Argentina  and  note  the  score 
or  more  of  North  Americans  working  in  scientific  fields 
at  the  government's  agricultural  experiment  stations, 
whose  salaries  range  from  eighteen  hundred  up  a  year; 
or  follow  the  work  of  the  older  scientists,  who  were 
"borrowed"  from  the  United  States  government  and 
who  direct  Argentina's  meteorological  stations,  or 
augment  the  teaching  talent  in  her  universities;  or  are 
studying  the  country's  geology;  or  those  who  are  direct- 
ing the  raising  of  cattle  for  food  supply.  (The  free 
entry  of  meats  under  the  new  tariff  regulations  of  the 


AMONG   THOSE   IN   THE    FIELD  23 

United  States  may  create  a  greater  demand  for  special- 
ists in  stock  raising,  veterinary  surgery,  etc.) 

Eight  graduates  of  a  well  known  western  university 
have  two-year  contracts  with  the  Brazilian  government 
for  topographical  and  geological  work,  and  most  of 
them  at  higher  salaries  than  they  could  command  at 
home.  Cotton  experts,  specialists  in  animal  husbandry, 
horticultural  workers  and  numerous  other  young 
North  Americans  now  employed  by  Brazil  could  be 
named. 

The  general  agent  in  New  York  of  Brazil's  great 
steamship  company,  The  Lloyd  Braziliero,  is  a  North 
American.  He  proved  such  a  good  consular  official 
while  stationed  in  Rio  de  Janeiro  as  a  representative  of 
the  United  States  that  the  steamship  company  took 
him  for  its  service  at  a  much  higher  salary.  Also  in 
Sao  Paulo,  a  North  American  is  the  Commissioner  of 
Immigration  of  the  Southern  Railway  of  Brazil  and  is 
rendering  excellent  service. 

Bolivia,  in  connection  with  her  railway  construction, 
has  long  employed  North  American  engineers  and 
surveyors,  and  a  short  time  ago  this  country  was  con- 
sidering the  advisability  of  securing  one  of  our  eminent 
educators  to  reorganize  and  supervise  her  system  of 
education. 

Chile  has  called  for  the  loan  of  army  engineers,  who 
are  now  aiding  in  solving  construction  problems  con- 
fronting that  country;  and  for  astronomers  to  study 
her  skies;  in  Peru  a  half  dozen  North  Americans  are 
occupying  positions  in  connection  with  educational  and 
scientific  work,  one  of  whom  is  head  of  the  University 


24         CHANCES   IN   SOUTH   AND   CENTRAL  AMERICA 

of  Cuzco;  another  is  official  adviser  to  the  Minister  of 
Public  Instruction;  still  another  is  in  charge  of  irrigation 
works,  while  the  chief  editor  of  the  West  Coast  Leader 
and  Peru  Today  hails  from  New  York  City. 

Uruguay's  Director  of  Fisheries  and  several  assistants 
were  secured  from  Oregon  and  California,  while  a 
number  of  geologists,  chemists,  engineers,  etc.,  were 
drawn  from  Columbia  University. 

Ecuador  has  employed  our  sanitary  experts;  Panama 
called  a  distinguished  educator  from  the  United  States 
to  the  Rectorship  of  her  National  University;  and  the 
Director  of  Public  Works  in  the  Dominican  Republic 
is  also  from  the  United  States. 

More  recently  the  former  assistant  secretary  of  the 
United  States  Department  of  Agriculture  accepted  a 
position  under  the  government  of  Argentina.  He  is 
acting  as  adviser  to  the  Minister  of  Agriculture  of  that 
country,  in  promoting  scientific  agriculture  and  farm 
life  affairs.  This  is  another  indication  of  the  oppor- 
tunity for  specially  trained  men,  and  it  also  shows,  as 
do  other  cases,  that  Argentina  is  on  the  lookout  for 
ability,  as  this  official  was  secured  immediately  after  the 
expiration  of  his  term  of  office  under  the  United  States 
government. 

A  California  physician  and  two  sanitary  engineers 
from  Georgia  and  Virginia,  respectively,  have  been 
working  in  Iquitos,  2,300  miles  up  the  Amazon,  endeav- 
oring to  sanitate  one  of  the  most  unhealthful  river  ports 
of  the  world.  These  specialists  were  "lent"  to  the 
Peruvian  government  in  compliance  with  a  request  to 
the  United  States  Public  Health  Service;  one  of  them 
fell  a  victim  to  the  fever  which  they  went  to  combat, 


AMONG   THOSE   IN   THE   FIELD  25 

but  fortunately  he  recovered.  A  late  report  shows  that 
Iquitos  is  free  from  fevers,  which  of  course  is  due  mainly 
to  the  efforts  of  the  young  North  Americans  and  their 
Peruvian  assistants. 

Indeed,  if  official  employment  of  men  from  the 
United  States  by  the  several  Latin- American  Republics 
were  fully  traced,  facts  would  show  that  many  of  our 
able  men  are,  jointly  with  the  native  officials,  working 
out  problems  that  are  intimately  allied  with  the  devel- 
opment of  nations  and  their  international  relations. 


AGRICULTURE 

SKILLED   AND    UNSKILLED   LABOR 

Commenting  on  the  opportunities  for  young  men  and 
on  that  wizard  of  agriculture,  Burbank,  the  well-known 
magazine,  Popular  Mechanics,  makes  some  pertinent 
remarks  that  deserve  serious  thought;  and  while  they 
refer  more  particularly  to  the  field  in  the  United  States, 
chances  equally  inviting  exist  in  practically  every 
Latin-American  country. 

Luther  Burbank,  by  experience  and  accomplishment  doubt- 
less the  best  qualified  man  in  the  world  today  to  make  such  a 
statement,  says  the  great  opportunity  for  our  boys  and  young 
men  is  in  agriculture.  He  points  out  that  after  the  young  man 
has  spent  eight  years  at  hard  study  of  medicine,  the  law  or 
engineering,  he  has  not  made  a  success;  he  is  only  prepared  to 
commence  the  battle  for  it.  Whereas,  to  add  but  one  kernel 
of  corn  to  each  ear  grown  in  this  country  in  a  single  year  would 
increase  the  supply  5,000,000  bushels.  One  improvement  in 
the  potato  is  already  paying  back  $17,000,000  a  year.  Every- 
thing we  eat  and  wear  comes  out  of  the  ground.  With  less  than 
half  our  population  raising  things,  should  there  be  any  wonder 
that  the  cost  of  living  has  increased  58  per  cent  in  fifteen  years? 
To  quote  from  Mr.  Burbank: 

"What  the  world  needs,  urgently  and  now,  is  men  who  can 
increase  the  forage  from  our  present  acreage  so  that  16  cents  will 
buy  a  pound  of  the  choicest  sirloin,  as  of  old,  instead  of  a  pound 
of  rump,  as  now. 

"What  the  world  needs  is  not  theory,  or  agitation,  or  college 
lore ;  there  are  plenty  of  these,  and  at  a  cost  of  $180,000,000  per 
annum  in  money,  and  who  knows  how  much  time,  they  have 
succeeded  in  increasing  our  crop  yield  only  a  bare  3  per  cent. 

26 


AGRICULTURE  27 

"What  the  world  needs  is  men  who  can  do  to  agriculture  and 
to  horticulture  what  Edison  did  to  electricity,  Carnegie  to 
steel,  and  the  Vanderbilts,  Hills,  and  Harrimans  to  transpor- 
tation— develop  their  efficiency." 

Agriculture  is  one  of  the  main  sources  of  wealth  of 
the  twenty  Latin-American  Republics,  but  in  most  of 
these  countries  primitive  methods  largely  prevail,  and 
the  latter  fact  explains  why  the  several  governments  have 
employed  many  specialists  from  other  lands. 

In  general,  all  of  the  Latin-American  countries  wel- 
come immigration  and  some  of  them  offer  special 
inducements  to  bona  fide  settlers  by  giving  them  free 
lands  for  cultivation  and  even  paying  the  transportation 
expenses  from  Europe  or  North  America.  Apropos  of 
this  subject,  the  Pan-American  Union,  at  Washington, 
the  official  organization  supported  jointly  by  the 
twenty-one  American  Republics,  has  furnished  the 
following  data: 

Intending  settlers  should  bear  in  mind  that  the  language 
and  customs  of  those  countries  are  entirely  different  from  those 
of  the  United  States  (Portuguese  in  Brazil,  Spanish  in  all 
the  others,  excepting  Hayti,  which  is  French),  and  that  it  is 
absolutely  essential  to  have  at  least  a  rudimentary  knowledge 
of  the  language  of  the  country.  It  should  also  be  remembered 
that  living  expenses  are,  as  a  rule,  higher  in  the  majority  of 
those  countries  than  in  the  United  States,  and  one  should  be 
provided  with  sufficient  funds  to  enable  one  to  make  a  study  of 
the  various  localities  of  the  country  which  he  may  have  selected, 
in  order  that  he  may  pick  out  the  lands  best  suited  to  his  pur- 
pose. 

While  nearly  all  the  governments  will  give  lands  to  anyone 
desiring  to  cultivate  the  same,  they  usually  require  that  a  cer- 
tain amount  of  capital  be  invested  in  cattle,  houses,  fences,  etc., 
as  well  as  implements  and  tools  and  it  is  not  advisable  for  any- 
one to  emigrate  to  any  one  of  the  American  Republics  unleai 


28         CHANCES   IN   SOUTH   AND   CENTRAL   AMERICA 

one  is  prepared  to  invest  at  least  $500  to  $600  to  which  must  be 
added  the  expenses  of  the  trip.  Farming  as  well  as  stock 
raising  is  usually  done  on  a  large  scale  in  South  America,  and 
it  is,  of  course,  much  more  advantageous  to  have  a  large  capital, 

say  $20,000  to  $30,000,  in  order  to  make  it  a  paying  venture. 
***** 

Scientific  fruit  growing  offers  a  wide  and  varied  field 
in  Latin-American  countries.  Of  some  sections,  like 
the  State  of  Mendoza  in  Argentina,  where  grapes  and 
other  fruit  culture  has  almost  reached  perfection,  there 
is  little  to  be  said,  but  there  are  parts  of  various  coun- 
tries where  the  orchardist  could  secure  !and  very  cheaply 
and  in  a  few  years  produce  good  results.  Those  of  us 
who  have  traveled  much  in  Andean  countries  have 
been  astonished  at  the  splendid  fruits  brought  by 
native  Indians  to  sell  to  the  traveler — delicious  looking, 
but  often  disappointing  to  the  taste. 

A  scientific  investigator,  who  has  been  studying  fruit 
growing  from  Peru  to  southern  Chile,  declares  that  if 
these  natives  applied  only  a  little  scientific  knowledge 
to  their  labors,  the  returns  would  be  four-fold. 

As  an  illustration  of  this  fact,  we  have  the  case  of  an 
Englishman,  near  Temuco,  Chile,  whose  apple  crops 
are  fast  making  him  wealthy.  He  has  applied  scien- 
tific culture  to  fruits,  which  are  bringing  enormous  prices 
in  the  markets  of  Santiago  and  Buenos  Aires. 

In  speaking  of  the  fruit  industry  of  South  America, 
Mr.  F.  W.  Wight,  of  the  United  States  Department  of 
Agriculture  who  has  pursued  exhaustive  studies  of  the 
fruit  possibilities  in  all  of  the  West  Coast  countries  of 
the  Southern  Continent,  makes  some  interesting  obser- 
vations. It  is  not  possible  to  give  more  than  mere 
extracts  in  these  pages,  but  if  desired  the  reader  may 


AGRICULTURE  29 

consult  the  full  report  by  application  to  the  Department 
of  Agriculture.  However,  here  are  some  of  this  speci- 
alist's remarks: 

One  of  the  most  striking  differences  perhaps  is  in  the  char- 
acter of  the  fruits  native  to  each  of  the  two  continents.  South 
America  seems  singularly  lacking  in  any  native  species  repre- 
senting those  deciduous  fruits  so  extensively  grown  in  the 
United  States.  There  are  no  native  apples,  pears,  peaches,  or 
true  plums,  in  fact  none  of  the  common  tree  fruits  of  this  impor- 
tant group.  Among  the  small  fruits  it  is  true  a  few  species  of 
Rubus  are  known,  and  we  are  indebted  to  Chile  for  the  parent 

species  of  our  most  important  varieties  of  strawberries. 

*  *        *        *        * 

Nevertheless,  we  have  seen  that  the  South  American  has 
succeeded  in  producing  grapes  as  successfully  as  we  have  in 
the  northern  continent.  Furthermore,  he  produces  beef  and 
mutton  of  admitted  excellence.  Does  it  require  any  more 
subtle  skill  to  produce  fine  apples  or  plums  than  it  does  to 
produce  the  cattle  and  sheep,  the  equals,  breed  for  breed, 
probably  of  any  in  Europe  or  North  America,  that  are  exhibited 

at  the  spring  show  at  Palermo? 

*  *        *        *        * 

Everywhere  there  is  a  spirit  of  restlessness,  not  in  political 
affairs  as  for  so  many  years  in  the  past,  but  in  industry.  They 
are  looking  more  and  more  to  the  great  republic  in  the  north  for 
lessons  in  the  development  of  their  resources,  and  what  may  we 
not  expect  if  North  American  capital  and  enterprise,  ever 
seeking  to  widen  the  horizon  of  its  activities,  sees  a  new  oppor- 
tunity in  these  countries  beyond  the  equator. 

La  Prensa,  the  great  Argentine  daily,  a  short  time 
ago  called  attention  to  the  possibilities  of  minor  agri- 
cultural development,  a  field  that  is  neglected.  The 
following  is  extracted  from  the  pages  of  the  paper 
mentioned;  the  translation  is  by  the  London  Chronicle: 

In  our  country  the  industries  of  the  grange,  as  also  the 
numerous  smaller  exploitations  which  should  be  undertaken  ae 


30         CHANCES   IN   SOUTH  AND   CENTRAL   AMERICA 

annexes  to  the  great  industries  of  grain  growing  and  cattle 
raising,  have  not  attained  the  development  observable  in 
other  countries  richer  or  poorer  than  our  own. 

A  journey  through  the  principal  Argentine  provinces  leaves 
us  with  the  general  impression  that  all  these  small  labours  of 
the  orchard  and  of  the  grange,  insignificant  perhaps  in  their 
detail,  but  of  great  importance  in  total,  are  not  undertaken  to 
the  extent  they  should  be,  although  their  exploitation  might 
possibly  provide  the  key  to  the  question  of  the  high  cost  of 
living  at  present  prevailing. 

Unfortunately,  the  prices  of  meat,  milk,  fruit,  eggs  and 
vegetables,  if  during  a  brief  period  of  the  year  they  appear  to 
be  reasonable,  are  for  much  the  greater  part  of  the  year  so 
elevated  as  to  be  practically  beyond  the  reach  of  that  enormous 
mass  of  the  population  enjoying  no  income  beyond  a  limited 
salary  or  a  precarious  daily  wage.  The  reason  of  this  dearness 
is  to  be  found  to  a  great  extent  in  the  neglect  and  disregard  of 
the  country  dwellers,  who,  although  able  to  devote  their 
energies  to  the  cultivation  of  a  small  orchard  or  a  small  grange 
in  their  spare  moments,  after  fulfilling  their  other  tasks, 
prefer  to  do  without  such  elements,  and  to  spend  their  money  on 
high-priced  articles  of  indifferent  quality. 

Speaking  of  the  opportunities  in  Argentina,  Mr.  H.  T. 
Gordon  Ross,  for  a  number  of  years  the  financial  editor 
of  the  Buenos  Aires  Standard,  makes  some  very  interest- 
ing observations  in  a  recent  number  of  the  Financial 
Review  of  Reviews,  of  London.  The  following  are 
extracts  from  his  article: 

Cereal  growing,  stock  raising,  and  politics  are  therefore 
everything  with  which  the  true  Argentine,  as  he  may  be  called, 
concerns  himself.  Commerce  and  all  other  enterprise  he  leaves 
almost  wholly  in  foreign  hands.  Per  contra,  the  foreigner 
leaves  politics,  except  inasmuch  as  they  concern  trade,  entirely 
to  him,  but  is  his  strenuous  competitor  in  all  else  throughout 
the  Republic. 

Our  true  Argentine  is,  however,  a  gradually  disappearing 


AGRICULTURE  31 

racial  type,  which  is  rapidly  changing  into  the  as  yet  unascer- 
tained new  one  which  will  be  the  ultimate  result  of  fusion  with 
many  other  nationalites,  chiefly  Italian.  Already  the  Italian 
population  is  a  large  majority  in  the  towns  and  almost  all  over 
the  Republic.  The  grocery  stores  and  the  flesh-food  markets 
are  practically  all  in  Italian  hands.  The  new  Argentine  should 
therefore  have  commercial  genius  and  be  very  capable  of 
managing  his  affairs  of  all  kinds  himself. 


Mr.  Ross  has  the  following  to  say  about  Argentine 
lands : 

We  hear  occasionally  that  these  have  reached  the  high-water 
mark.  To  anyone  who  really  knows  the  country  this  statement 
is  ridiculous.  That  land  values  are  not  rising  and  will  never 
again  rise  with  the  rapidity  they  once  did  is  evident,  as  it  also 
is  that  now  and  then,  here  and  there,  they  may  be  temporarily 
depressed  as  a  consequence  of  overspeculation  by  weak  opera- 
tors. But  the  general  rise  is  sure,  though  gradual,  and  such 
temporary  dips  are  but  curves  in  the  constantly  ascending  line 
of  the  country  on  the  chart  of  prosperity. 
***** 

Stock  raising  and  grain  growing  have  hitherto  given  the 
Argentine  all.  the  money  he  needs  and  the  life  he  likes,  but  as 
more  and  more  land  is  developed  to  improved  pasturage  or  put 
under  cereal  cultivation  he  will  have  to  look,  to  what  he  is 
still  inclined  to  regard  as  remote,  as  secondary  industries. 
In  addition  to  such  of  these  as  have  been  mentioned  earlier  in 
this  article,  fruit  growing  should  be  mentioned.  Little  capital 
has  as  yet  been  invested  in  this  other  than  in  vine  growing  for 
wine-making  purposes,  but  therein  lies  a  very  considerable 
source  of  future  wealth,  which  the  Argentine  himself  may  well 
develop. 

Skilled  laborers  are  in  demand  in  the  larger  Latin- 
American  cities  but  in  most  cases  the  percentage 
of  Italians,  who  are  accustomed  to  the  low  scale  of 


32         CHANCES   IN   SOUTH   AND   CENTRAL   AMERICA 

wages  of  southern  Europe,  make  it  impossible  for  the 
North  American  laborer  to  compete. 

In  Chile,1  for  instance,  there  is  a  scarcity  of  labor, 
and  if  a  good  man  with  a  special  mechanical  knowledge 
should  happen  to  find  himself  there  he  could  probably 
find  work  but  the  wages  paid  him  would  be  lower  than 
for  corresponding  labor  in  the  United  States. 

I  recall  a  case  of  a  young  North  American  mechanic 
whom  I  found  bossing  a  gang  of  Italian  laborers  in  a 
Chilean  city.  The  mechanic  had  recently  arrived  from 
Bolivia,  where  he  had  been  employed  on  the  railroads 
as  a  section  foreman.  This  American  told  me  that  he 
had  no  trouble  in  securing  work  in  Chile,  but  that  the 
wages  he  received  were  much  lower  than  he  could 
command  at  home.  A  year  later  I  saw  this  same  laborer 
in  Washington  where  he  was  employed  by  a  street 
railway  company,  at  double  the  wages  earned  in  Chile. 
Ordinary  laborers  are  better  off  in  the  United  States  but 
if  determined  to  seek  work  in  Latin  America  they  should 
first  associate  themselves  with  one  of  the  home  com- 
panies doing  work  in  that  part  of  the  world. 

One  of  the  great  economic  problems  that  confronts 
the  people  today  is  the  meat  supply  In  the  United 
States  one  of  the  chief  sources  of  agricultural  wealth  is 
the  sale  of  food  animals  from  the  farm.  Of  a  total 
agricultural  income  of  about  nine  billion  dollars  annu- 
ally, fully  one-half  comes  from  the  sale  of  meat  animals, 
dairy  products  and  poultry;  and  according  to  economists 
the  supply  is  not  increasing  with  the  demand. 

The  Latin  countries  are  beginning  to  supply  meats  for 

irrhe  same  conditions  are  true  as  regards  agricultural  labor. 


AGRICULTURE  33 

our  markets,  and  the  supplies  that  have  reached  us 
have  been  declared  by  inspectors  to  be  of  excellent 
quality.  A  very  large  amount  of  North  American 
capital,  something  like  $20,000,000,  is  invested  in  Argen- 
tina cattle  and  packing  industries;  one  Chicago  concern 
has  erected  a  $1,000  000  plant  in  Buenos  Aires. 

An  ex-president  of  Peru,  who  has  been  addressing 
numerous  commercial  bodies  in  this  country  recently 
declared  that  Peru  can  supply  meats  to  the  United 
States  several  cents  cheaper  than  can  other  countries, 
and  in  enormous  quantities. 

Southern  Brazil  and  Uruguay  (Uruguay  has  34,000,- 
000  livestock  at  present) ,  are  also  great  cattle  countries, 
and  at  the  present  time  the  representative  of  one  of  the 
largest  concerns  in  the  West  is  visiting  those  countries 
in  connection  with  the  establishment  of  greater  exports 
of  meat  products  to  the  United  States. 

Sections  of  Venezuela,  Columbia,  and  Central 
America  offer  splendid  opportunities  for  cattle  raising, 
and  the  writer  in  the  summer  of  1913  "followed"  a 
number  of  thoroughbred  stock  from  New  York  to  the 
section  about  Heredia,  Costa  Rica,  where  there  are 
prosperous  stock  farms,  which  promise  large  supplies 
ultimately  for  United  States  consumption. 

This  one  branch  of  agriculture  is  making  opportuni- 
ties in  Latin  countries  for  skilled  men  in  the  countless 
occupations  allied  with  stock  raising  and  meat  packing 
industries. 

In  both  Brazil  and  Peru  the  growing  of  cotton 
should  provide  employment  for  a  few  experts  from 
North  America.  In  conversing  with  a  Peruvian  expert 
whom  the  government  had  sent  to  various  parts  of  the 


34        CHANCES  IN   SOUTH  AND   CENTRAL  AMERICA 

world  to  study  the  industry,  the  writer  learned  as  he 
was  shown  over  vast  cotton  estates,  of  the  importance 
which  the  Peruvian  government  is  attaching  to  cotton 
production.  For  instance,  in  the  lea  Valley,  which  lies 
about  200  miles  south  of  Lima,  there  are  something 
like  30,000  acres  under  cotton  cultivation,  while  there 
are  as  many  more  acres  that  would  be  equally  produc- 
tive if  the  land  were  irrigated. 

Irrigation  is  the  sole  means  of  cultivation  of  crops  in 
most  sections  of  Peru  and  the  extension  of  this  work  will 
doubtless  be  on  a  large  scale.  The  lea  River  in  the 
section  above  mentioned,  which  flows  down  from  the 
snow-capped  mountains  with  measured  regularity  each 
season  brings  an  average  of  nearly  200  acre-feet  of 
water.  This  flow,  or  run  off  as  it  is  called,  is  during  the 
first  four  months  of  the  year,  and  the  present  irrigation 
canals  are  inadequate  to  properly  distribute  the  water. 
Other  canals  are  planned  and  building  and  for  many 
years  there  will  be  irrigation  work  to  be  done  in  Peru 
and  in  various  other  Latin  countries.  A  few  American 
experts  could  at  least  keep  an  eye  on  developments  of 
this  character,  with  a  possible  view  of  employment. 

The  subject  of  capital  is  especially  emphasized,  in 
connection  with  opportunities  in  Central  American 
countries  for  young  men  from  the  United  States,  as 
seen  by  Commercial  Agent  Harris,  of  the  United  States 
Department  of  Commerce.  The  following  is  extracted 
from  his  report  which  was  recently  submitted  to  the 
Washington  authorities: 

The  fact  is,  there  are  no  opportunities  in  any  of  the  Central 
American  Republics  for  a  man,  either  young  or  old,  who  lacks 
capital.  To  go  there  without  ample  resources  usually  means  an 


AGRICULTURE  35 

ultimate  call  on  the  folks  back  home  for  help  to  get  away,  unless, 
of  course,  the  person  intends  to  take  up  a  tract  of  land  and 
farm  it.  In  this  event  he  had  better  bring  his  labor  with  him, 
for  lack  of  labor  is  what  prevents  the  more  rapid  development  of 
the  entire  region  from  Belize  to  Puerto  Bello. 

While,  as  a  rule,  land  may  be  had  cheaply  in  Central  America, 
except  on  the  Canal  Zone,  and  settlers'  effects  may  be  brought 
in  free  of  duty,  the  problem  of  clearing  and  putting  the  land  in 
cultivation  is  a  serious  one,  and  calls  for  considerable  money. 
Moreover,  there  must  be  a  reserve  to  support  the  developer 
until  his  land  produces  something  besides  a  weekly  pay  roll. 

Banana  farming  requires  a  tremendous  outlay,  for  bananas 
grow  best  only  in  tropical  jungle  land  at  practically  sea  level 
and  a  few  hundred  feet  above.  It  requires  a  considerable 
outlay  to  clear  the  land  and  a  year  or  more  before  a  cent  of 
revenue  may  be  expected.  Longer  time  is  required  for  coffee, 
which  costs  more  to  establish  than  bananas  and  takes  longer 
to  come  into  bearing;  and  the  same  is  true  of  cacao.  There  is  a 
considerable  opening  in  some  quarters  for  fruit,  notably  in  the 
Zacapa  region  of  Guatemala,  where  oranges  of  a  superior  quality 
and  exceedingly  fine  pineapples  may  be  grown,  but  it  takes 
money  to  start  and  to  wait  until  the  returns  come  in. 

To  get  out  mahogany,  cedar,  ceiba,  and  other  woods  takes 
capital  and  equipment.  To  develop  the  mineral  resources 
requires  money,  and  lots  of  it.  There  is  gold  in  most  of  the 
Central  American  countries,  but  generally  it  is  not  of  the  free 
milling  sort.  Very  little  placer  gold  is  found,  and  there  must 
be  stamp  mills  and  processes  to  extract  it.  To  get  the  silver, 
lead,  and  other  minerals  requires  smelters,  equipment,  and 
much  outlay. 


ENGINEERING  AND  CONSTRUCTIVE 
PROFESSIONS 

The  constructive  professions  and  agricultural  devel- 
opment are  intimately  associated  all  over  Latin  America. 
The  lands  are  productive,  mountains  abound  in  ores, 
rivers  afford  arteries  for  commerce,  but  the  engineer 
must  first  bring  facilities  for  marketing  that  which 
nature  provides. 

In  civil,  electrical,  mining,  hydraulic,  mechanical, 
and  other  branches  of  engineering  there  are  many  North 
Americans  employed  all  over  Latin  America,  and  in 
general  the  field  is  growing.  While  European  capital 
built  most  of  the  great  railways,  many  North  American 
engineers  aided  in  the  work,  and  in  some  instances  the 
latter  are  responsible  for  entire  enterprises. 

Of  North  Americans,  Meiggs  built  Peru's  greatest 
railways:  Harmon  pushed  the  iron  rails  "along  the 
roof  of  the  world"  to  Ecuador's  capital;  Wheelright 
gave  Chile  its  first  railroad;  Farquhar  changed  the 
Madeira-Mamore  railway  from  a  dream  to  a  reality; 
American  engineers  constructed  the  most  difficult 
work  on  the  Trans- Andine  road;  Bolivia's  system  of 
railroads  was  planned  by  engineers  from  the  United 
States;  and  in  almost  every  country  we  see  examples  of 
North  American  constructive  skill.  To  quote  the  words 
of  the  famous  traveler,  Peter  McQueen,  "  North  Ameri- 
cans are  just  beginning  to  see  South  America  through 
the  telescope  of  the  Panama  Canal.  They  will  not 
stop  until  they  have  a  line  of  steel  from  Patagonia  to 
New  York." 

36 


ENGINEERING  AND   CONSTRUCTION  37 

In  every  branch  of  engineering  there  are  opportunities 
but  one  cannot  expect  them  to  appear  without  diligent 
search,  which  in  this  day  is  made  comparatively  easy 
by  means  of  the  countless  periodicals  which  chronicle 
every  commercial  and  industrial  move  that  capital 
makes.  Professional  and  trade  journals  are  important 
factors  in  keeping  the  specialist  posted  in  regard  to 
possible  openings;  also  the  other  factors  noted  in 
succeeding  chapters  of  this  book. 

REGARDING   OPPORTUNITIES   FOR  TECHNICALLY 
TRAINED   NORTH  AMERICANS1 

The  question  propounded  by  the is  similar 

to  that  confronting  educational  institutions  all  over  the 
country.  Thousands  of  young  men  annually  pass  from 
seats  of  learning  to  battle  with  the  business  of  the  world. 
The  college  has  done  its  work,  but  does  the  business 
world  need  the  additional  talent?  Undoubtedly  it 
does,  otherwise  the  vast  number  of  colleges  would  not 
exist. 

Coming  more  particularly  to  the  points  in  question — 
does  Latin-American  development  present  inviting 
opportunities  for  technically  trained  North  Americans? 
The  answer  to  this  question  involves  a  study  of  the 
commercial  and  industrial  development  of  those  coun- 
tries and  the  part  North  American  capital  is  playing 
in  the  work.  European  capital  being  responsible  for 
a  far  greater  development  all  over  Latin  America  than 
is  the  case  with  North  American  interests,  it  naturally 

1  This  answer  to  an  inquiry  from  a  leading  American  college 
was  prepared  by  the  author. 


38         CHANCES   IN   SOUTH  AND   CENTRAL  AMERICA 

follows  that  the  young  man  from  European  countries 
finds  employment  in  preference  to  those  from  the 
United  States. 

Another  fact  to  consider,  is  the  constant  improvement 
and  extension  of  Latin- American  university  teaching; 
the  excellent  technical  training  now  to  be  enjoyed  in 
Argentina,  Brazil,  Chile,  and  in  other  Latin-American 
countries,  is  providing  the  commercial  world  with  home 
talent,  much  of  which  is  of  a  high  order. 

During  the  last  ten  years  the  commerce  of  the 
United  States  with  Latin  America  has  increased  some- 
thing like  a  billion  dollars;  United  States  capital  has 
entered  more  extensively  into  the  economic  development 
of  Latin  America  than  ever  before;  our  capital  is  building 
railways;  developing  electrical  power;  cultivating  lands 
and  buying  the  products  of  those  lands;  more  frequent 
sailings  and  faster  ships  are  aiding  this  trade;  in  fact  the 
whole  story  of  the  young  man's  chances  of  employment 
rest  largely  on  the  story  of  economic  development. 

Vast  regions  of  Latin  America  are  in  the  making; 
this  making  process  demands  talent  along  every  branch 
of  the  engineering  profession;  and  qualified  persons  are 
sure  to  follow  in  the  wake  of  United  States  capital. 

Actual  employment,  of  course,  is  to  be  given  by  those 
firms  engaged  in  carrying  out  development  for  which 
capital  provides.  Appended  is  a  list  of  firms  in 
the  United  States  that  are  actively  engaged  in  Latin 
America.  To  follow  their  activities — their  movements, 
is  to  study  what  opportunities  are  thus  presented; 
and  countless  trade  journals  relate  from  time  to  time  the 
progress  and  extension  of  the  work  of  these  and  other 
corporations. 


ENGINEERING  AND   CONSTRUCTION  39 

According  to  electrical  experts  there  are  three  princi- 
pal factors  that  enter  into  the  generation  of  electricity 
from  water  power:  fall,  volume,  and  continuity  of 
supply.  With  few  exceptions  these  means  of  com- 
mercial development  exist  all  over  the  Latin-American 
countries,  and  this  long-wasted  power  is  gradually 
being  brought  to  man's  use;  a  brief  survey  of  the 
countries  shows  that  electricity  is  rapidly  coming  into 
general  service  along  all  lines  of  endeavor. 

The  Alpania  Mines  installation,  for  instance,  in  Peru 
is  at  about  16,000  feet  above  sea  level,  and  notwith- 
standing atmospheric  electricity  at  this  great  height,  is 
a  proved  success.  Chile  is  harnessing  her  Niagara  or 
Falls  of  the  Loja.  The  Tequendama  Falls  in  Colombia, 
410  feet  high,  have  been  put  to  work  for  electrical 
power  purposes. 

The  harnessing  of  the  Iguazu  Falls  on  the  boundary 
6f  Brazil,  Argentina  and  Paraguay  and  the  taking  of  the 
electric  current  200  miles  or  farther  in  various  directions 
means  much  to  the  engineer,  whether  his  specialty  be 
civil,  electrical,  mechanical  or  hydraulic  engineering. 
Hundreds  of  other  water  power  development  opportu- 
nities in  various  stages  of  progress  might  be  mentioned. 

Smaller  cities  of  Central  and  South  America  are  just 
installing  electric  street  car  lines  and  electric  light  sys- 
tems, such  as  Potosi,  Bolivia;  Maracay  and  Baraqui- 
simeto,  Venezuela;  Arequipa,  Peru;  Asuncion,  Para- 
guay, Panama  City;  and  various  others.  Study  the 
progress  of  motor  transportation  (see  separate  chapter) 
and  note  how  this  is  solving  transportation  problems  all 
over  the  continent  and  thereby  opening  new  industries. 

Electrical  devices  are  being  sold  throughout  Latin 


40        CHANCES   IN   SOUTH  AND   CENTRAL  AMERICA 

America,  and  while  the  larger  cities  are  well  supplied, 
the  inland  centers  for  many  years  will  be  the  scenes  of 
active  electrical  development,  and  all  grades  of  elec- 
trical workers  will  be  needed  to  perform  the  labor  of 
installation  and  management. 

Consider  the  advance  of  the  wireless  telegraph. 
Every  Latin-American  country  has  erected  or  is  plan- 
ning to  erect  wireless  stations  and  the  dizzy  heights  of 
the  Andes  afford  some  excellent  natural  towers.  Brazil 
is  now  talking  with  the  Falkl  ands;  Lima  with  Iquitos; 
Bolivia  has  erected  half  a  dozen  stations;  Limon  is 
talking  with  Colon;  the  Straits  of  Magellan  are  being 
linked  by  many  stations  with  Chilean  cities  all  the  way 
to  Arica,  nearly  three  thousand  miles;  Panama  will 
soon  talk  with  San  Francisco  and  with  Washington; 
The  Arlington  wireless  station  near  Washington  hears 
from  Manaos,  a  city  a  thousand  miles  up  the  Amazon  and 
3100  miles  air-line  distance,  that  "  signals  are  being 
read  consistently." 

About  ten  years  ago  a  North  American  engineer  and 
an  agent  of  the  Bolivian  government,  made  a  journey 
of  1200  miles  mule-back  through  the  forests  of  Bolivia, 
where  no  railroads  existed.  That  little  expedition 
blazed  the  way  and  many  other  engineers  and  helpers 
from  the  United  States  followed  these  pioneers;  and 
today  Bolivia  has  seven  hundred  and  fifty  miles  of 
railways,  a  large  portion  of  which  was  built  by  North 
American  engineers  and  contractors. 

Railways  are  reviving  the  mining  industry  in  all  of 
the  Latin  countries  because  they  make  it  possible  to 
market  the  ores.  One  or  two  examples  must  suffice 
for  want  of  space.  The  American  minister  to  Bolivia, 


ENGINEERING  AND   CONSTRUCTION  41 

Mr.  Horace  G.  Knowles  who  was  recently  succeeded 
by  the  present  incumbent,  was  so  impressed  with  the 
mining  prospects  of  the  country,  now  made  doubly 
inviting  on  account  of  railway  facilities,  that  he  has 
organized  a  company,  and  as  its  president,  is  planning 
to  develop  the  mines  on  a  very  extensive  scale.  He  has 
already  taken  several  young  mining  experts  from  the 
United  States,  and  as  the  work  progresses  doubtless 
others  will  be  added  to  his  force.  In  Peru  like  condi- 
tions prevail,  where  North  American  capital  invested 
in  commercial  enterprises,  mostly  mining,  is  estimated 
at  $30,000,000. 

The  electric  sign  as  an  advertising  medium  offers 
still  another  line  that  is  worth  considering.  Half  a 
dozen  years  ago  I  saw  very  few  electric  signs  in  the  city 
of  Montevideo.  Later  visits  have  shown  me  marvelous 
advances  in  this  line  and  various  unique  advertising 
novelties  are  in  use.  This  business  owes  its  inception,  so 
it  is  said,  to  a  young  Uruguayan  who  visited  the  United 
States  a  few  years  ago  and  saw  our  wonderful  electric 
signs.  The  Great  White  Way  in  New  York  inspired 
him  and  when  he  returned  home  he  carried  a  nucleus 
of  advertising  novelties,  which  at  once  became  immense- 
ly popular.  This  enterprising  gentleman's  business 
grew  rapidly  and  has  now  extended  to  adjoining  towns 
and  cities;  and  it  is  mentioned  here  simply  to  remind 
other  men  of  the  possibilities  of  introducing  electrical 
sign  advertising  into  many  sections  where  it  is  almost 
unknown. 

The  architect  may  inquire  if  there  are  opportunities 
for  his  professional  services.  If  he  is  a  reader  of  the 
United  States  Daily  Consular  and  Trade  Reports  he 


42         CHANCES  IN  SOUTH  AND   CENTRAL  AMERICA 

has  from  time  to  time  noted  the  activity  in  the  building 
of  residence  and  business  edifices  in  practically  every 
Latin  country. 

In  the  larger  towns  and  cities  there  is  a  growing 
tendency  to  modernize  everything.  This  is  most  no- 
ticeable, and  within  recent  years  some  of  the  finest 
and  largest  buildings  have  made  their  appearance;  only 
a  few  cases  can  be  mentioned  here,  but  these  are  typical 
and  should  serve  to  indicate  in  some  degree  the  general 
opportunities  prevailing. 

In  the  State  of  Sante  Fe,  Argentina,  the  local  govern- 
ment is  raising  several  millions  of  dollars  to  build  300 
school  houses;  the  municipality  of  Buenos  Aires  has 
recently  contracted  for  the  erection  of  10,000  workmen's 
homes,  at  the  rate  of  about  2000  houses  a  year.  In 
Bahia,  Brazil,  the  remodeling  of  houses  last  year  was 
the  greatest  building  activity  ever  known  in  that  city. 
Many  buildings  were  torn  down  to  make  way  for  modern 
ones,  streets  were  changed  and  widened  and  greatly 
extended  and  improved.  Again,  Chilean  railroads 
needed  a  more  modern  terminal  and  $10,000  was 
offered  to  the  architect,  foreign  or  domestic,  who  would 
submit  the  best  plan. 

Consider  the  sea-side  resorts  in  the  various  countries 
and  we  see  much  building  activity  in  each  Republic :  Leme, 
near  Rio  de  Janeiro;  Mar  del  Plata,  in  Argentina;  Los 
Pocitos,  in  Uruguay,  Vina  del  Mar,  in  Chile;  Chorillos, 
in  Peru;  Macuto,  in  Venezuela;  and  others.  Evidently 
many  architects  have  been  busy;  the  people  who  fre- 
quent these  resorts  are  the  elite  and  wealth  of  their 
respective  countries  and  the  expensive  architectual 
gems  speak  for  themselves,  but  we  must  remember 


ENGINEERING   AND   CONSTRUCTION  43 

that  competition  is  the  life  of  trade.  The  modernizing 
of  cities  promises  even  greater  development  and  one 
that  will  last  for  many  years. 

In  smaller  towns  and  in  the  vicinity  of  great  enter- 
prises where  thousands  of  laborers  congregate  I  am  con- 
vinced, from  what  I  have  seen  in  the  past  ten  years,  that 
there  will  be  a  gradual  improvement  of  living  conditions 
of  the  workmen  and  their  families.  The  wretched 
hovels  with  only  dirt  floors,  which  in  numerous  cases 
house  large  families,  are  destined  to  give  way  to  advanc- 
ing civilization.  I  believe  the  cheaply  constructed 
workman  home  is  soon  to  replace  the  adobe,  and  some 
architects  at  least  might  look  into  the  possibilities,  as 
they  exist  in  almost  every  country.  Even  a  cheap 
house  may  require  designing,  and  each  locality  may  have 
peculiar  conditions  to  be  met.  Many  sections  of  Latin 
America  will  not  much  longer  be  content  to  erect 
magnificent  edifices  on  plans  a  hundred  years  old. 

The  architect  also  may  find  suggestions  in  chapters 
on  hotels,  engineering,  what  syndicates  are  doing,  etc., 
in  which  are  noted  other  building  possibilities  closely 
related  to  the  work  of  the  architect. 

In  the  United  States  landscape  architecture  is  a 
comparatively  new  profession,  but  according  to  Dr. 
Charles  W.  Eliot,  president  emeritus  of  Harvard  Uni- 
versity, it  is  becoming  a  most  attractive  college  course. 
Here  is  what  the  distinguished  educator  has  to  say  on 
the  subject: 

That  department  of  this  university  has  made  notable  gains 
in  the  last  few  years,  and  this  year  is  the  best  one  it  has  ever 
had.  The  best  class  of  students  are  resorting  to  that  depart- 
ment and  in  increasiag  numbers.  Why?  Because  young  men 


44        CHANCES   IN   SOUTH  AND   CENTRAL  AMERICA 

have  discovered  that  in  that  profession  they  may  not  only 
cultivate  to  a  high  degree  the  artistic  faculty,  but  they  may 
also  contribute  in  high  degree  to  the  social  progress  of  the 
community,  of  the  country. 

We  used  to  think  that  literature  and  philosophy  were  the 
only  humanities,  and  much  of  it  lingers  still,  but  we  have 
learned,  particularly  during  the  last  fifty  years,  that  the  inspi- 
ration of  all  the  professions  in  these  modern  days  is  very  much 
the  same. 

While  the  writer  believes  that  such  a  profession  could 
be  successfully  pursued  in  some  of  the  Latin-American 
countries,  there  are  other  occupations  of  more  impor- 
tance and  in  greater  demand.  In  such  cities  as  Rio  de 
Janeiro,  Buenos  Aires,  Havana,  Luna,  etc.,  the  land- 
scape architect,  the  engineer,  and  the  artist  have  worked 
marvelous  transformations,  but  in  some  other  countries 
it  is  a  question  whether  the  demand  for  such  talent  is 
yet  sufficient  to  warrant  one  engaging  in  it  as  a  profes- 
sion. Undoubtedly  there  is  a  growing  need  for  the 
beautification  of  cities  and  their  environments,  and  at 
present  if  there  are  not  openings  for  such  work  there 
will  be  opportunities  in  the  future.  Civic  betterment  is 
making  progress  in  Central  and  South  America,  and  is 
likely  to  advance  in  accordance  with  the  general  upward 
tendency  of  the  times. 

In  speaking  of  electrical  opportunities  in  general, 
and  of  those  offered  by  wireless  telegraphy  in  particular, 
Philip  Gibbs,  the  well-known  writer,  in  the  London 
Graphic,  makes  the  following  observations;  and  while 
they  do  not  refer  to  any  special  country  they  have  a 
bearing  on  the  Central  and  South  American  countries, 
in  many  sections  of  which  the  general  use  of  electricity 
is  just  being  introduced.  To  quote  Mr.  Gibbs : 


ENGINEERING  AND   CONSTRUCTION  45 

Here,  in  palatial  offices  which  have  not  been  altered  since  the 
days  when  they  belonged  to  the  Gaiety  Restaurant,  engineers 
are  drafting  out  plans  for  new  wireless  stations  in  the  far  places 
of  the  world,  and  young  men  are  learning  how  to  receive  and 
transmit  their  messages  which  "put  a  girdle  round  the  earth"  of 
whispering  waves.  In  a  beautiful  room  which  was  once  the 
Masonic  Hall  of  the  Gaiety,  Cav.  Marconi  and  his  directors  meet 
to  scheme  out  new  developments  linking  up  new  outposts;  in  the 
galleries,  where  fair  women  and  fashionable  men  once  indulged 
in  idle  gossip  over  coffee  and  liquors,  a  staff  of  draughtsmen  are 
at  work  over  designs  for  apparatus ;  and  in  the  basement,  which 
was  the  grill-room  of  the  restaurant,  there  is  the  school  for 
instruction  for  operators  who  are  in  training  for  their  certifi- 
cates. 

During  the  fifteen  months  in  which  this  school  has  been 
established  over  500  young  men  have  been  turned  out,  and  there 
are  now  more  than  900  operators  in  the  service  of  the  Marconi 
Company.  There  has  been  such  a  demand  for  them  that  it 
has  sometimes  happened  that  they  have  had  to  be  sent  away 
in  taxicabs  to  get  their  certificates  from  the  Postmaster-General 
and  then  rushed  off  to  join  their  ship. 

The  young  men  come  from  all  parts  of  the  United  Kingdom. 
"It  is  good  for  the  old  country  that  she  still  breeds  such 
youths."  Mr.  Marconi  has  opened  a  new  profession  to  young 
British  manhood,  giving  the  boys  a  chance  to  show  their  spirit 
of  adventure  and  their  qualities  of  character. 

Marconi,  "has  given  a  new  glory  to  the  name  of  science." 


SALESMANSHIP 

TRIFLING   MATTERS   OVERLOOKED 

The  field  of  salesmanship  is  one  of  the  most  promis- 
ing as  well  as  varied  in  connection  with  our  business 
development  with  Latin- American  countries.  The  prod- 
ucts which  we  have  to  offer  those  countries  are  in  the 
main  things  which  they  do  not  themselves  produce, 
and  in  number  they  are  practically  innumerable. 

The  salesmanship  field  is  open  and  still  uncrowded, 
and  to  the  skilled  salesman  its  rewards  are  most  invit- 
ing; but  it  should  be  remembered  that  the  word  "skilled  " 
has  a  far  different  significance  than  in  the  United  States. 
A  different  race  of  people  requires  different  trade  tactics; 
the  quick-selling  methods  prevailing  in  our  own  country 
prove  disgusting  to  the  prospective  Latin-American 
customer.  Our  most  popular  and  successful  salesmen 
in  those  countries  are  the  ones  who  know  the  people, 
their  history,  characteristics,  language,  customs,  habits, 
etc.,  and  whose  business-getting  methods  are  above 
reproach.  These  qualifications  come  gradually  but 
surely  to  those  who  devote  time  and  energy  to  the 
subject.  More  and  more  the  great  manufacturing 
enterprises  and  exporters  in  the  United  States  are 
demanding  experienced  men  for  their  Latin-American 
departments. 

Salesmanship  has  really  become  a  profession  and 
probably  no  country  has  developed  more  able  all-around 
men  for  home  service  than  the  United  States. 

46 


SALESMANSHIP  47 

In  foreign  lands,  however,  much  more  is  exacted  of  a 
commercial  representative  than  at  home.  The  pros- 
pective customer  may  know  nothing  of  the  firm  the 
traveler  represents.  His  first  impressions  are  gained 
solely  from  the  bearing  and  appearance  of  his  guest; 
and  the  latter 's  success  depends  largely  upon  his  pre- 
sentation of  his  proposition.  One  very  important 
requisite  is  that  the  salesman  should  know  the  language 
of  the  country  in  which  he  is  laboring.  In  this  par- 
ticular the  European  salesman  is  superior  to  his  average 
North  American  brother. 

At  the  moment  I  recall  two  American  salesmen  met  in 
South  America;  each  one  sold  automobiles  made  in  the 
United  States  and  both  gentlemen  had  spent  several 
months  in  Argentina.  One  of  them  spoke  Spanish 
almost  fluently  and  had  disposed  of  ten  machines;  the 
other  man  had  sold  only  one.  Whether  the  success  of 
the  former  or  the  apparent  failure  of  the  latter  was  due 
to  the  merits  of  the  respective  machines  is  not  known, 
but  I  firmly  believe  that  the  success  of  the  one  was 
mainly  due  to  his  ability  to  converse  with  his  prospective 
customer. 

The  commercial  representative  acting  through  an 
interpreter  loses  much  of  his  force  and  spirit;  it  is  rare  to 
find  one  who  interprets  with  the  shades  of  meaning  and 
expression  which  the  principal  wishes  to  convey. 

Of  course  one  may  visit  Latin  countries  and  even  form 
most  important  business  connections  without  knowing 
a  word  of  any  foreign  tongue;  but  a  familiarity  with  a 
country's  language  and  using  it  in  daily  intercourse 
with  the  people  gives  one  a  broader  view,  a  more  inti- 
mate knowledge  and  a  far  better  understanding. 


48         CHANCES   IN   SOUTH  AND   CENTRAL  AMERICA 

Comparative  methods  of  the  European  and  the  North 
American  in  endeavoring  to  further  develop  their 
respective  commercial  interests  in  South  American 
countries  is  a  very  broad  subject,  and  one  in  which  both 
peoples  have  strong  points. 

The  European  salesman  is  found  all  over  the  Latin 
Republics  and  he  has  been  there  for  years;  having  fol- 
lowed European  capital,  which  is  responsible  for  many 
of  the  railways,  steamship  lines  and  numerous  enter- 
prises found  throughout  the  Southern  Continent.  Speak- 
ing very  broadly  and  with  numerous  exceptions,  the 
North  American  traveling  salesman  is  new  to  the  field, 
and  it  follows  that  he  is  not  so  well  acquainted  with  the 
South  American  business  man  and  his  methods. 

It  is  impossible  in  a  short  space  to  enter  into  details 
of  this  important  subject.  One  fact,  however,  stands 
out  boldly:  in  dealings  between  man  and  man  it  is 
quite  essential  that  good  feelings  exist  between  the 
parties.  The  more  amicable  the  relations  the  more 
closely  the  business  ties;  and  it  is  the  small  things — the 
trifling  matters  overlooked — the  little  courtesies  that 
are  often  lacking — that  I  propose  to  call  to  the  atten- 
tion of  the  business  man  who  seeks  South  American 
markets.  In  other  words,  let  us  build  our  commercial 
intercourse  from  the  very  foundation — a  foundation 
based  on  mutual  respect  and  good  understanding. 

Our  country  is  in  a  very  high  state  of  commercial 
development,  and  when  we  visit  other  lands,  many  sec- 
tions of  which  are  comparatively  new  in  the  fields  of 
business,  we  are  loath  to  give  up  the  comforts,  con- 
veniences and  customs  which  we  enjoy  at  home. 

We  start  for  the  great  continent  south  of  us,  well 
termed  "the  land  of  tomorrow. "  Some  go  for  pleasure 


SALESMANSHIP  49 

or  in  quest  of  the  unusual;  others  make  the  journey 
purely  for  business  purposes.  Alas!  some  hardships 
and  not  a  few  disappointments  often  beset  the  traveler 
from  the  United  States,  and  he  returns  home  discour- 
aged and  sometimes  embittered.  Why?  Largely  be- 
cause he  did  not  understand  the  people  among  whom  he 
sojourned.  He  carried  with  him  and  attempted  to  apply 
his  North  American  ideals  and  customs.  He  failed  to 
adopt  for  the  time  being  the  manners  and  life  of  a 
different  people  and  of  a  new  and  undeveloped  country, 
which  is  of  prime  importance  when  making  the  acquaint- 
ance of  the  South  American  business  men.  In  many 
respects  the  West  Coast  countries  are  new  and  unde- 
veloped as  compared  with  the  progress  of  the  American 
States. 

DELAYS  ARE   COMMON 

Let  me  illustrate  an  occurrence  that  actually  took 
place  last  year  when  I  boarded  a  Chilean  steamship  at 
Panama  bound  for  Callao.  About  twenty  passengers 
were  aboard  and  we  were  only  one  day  late.  Several 
South  Americans  and  a  few  Europeans  were  swinging 
comfortably  in  the  shade  in  their  hammocks  which 
they  themselves  had  wisely  provided.  Two  men  from 
the  United  States  were  walking  up  and  down  the  decks, 
the  scorching  sun  making  the  decks  almost  unbearable, 
and  apparently  every  hour's  additional  delay  making 
them  more  angry.  Note  the  contrast!  The  men  from 
the  United  States  were  impatient  for  the  activity  and 
exactness  characteristic  of  their  country,  and  at  the  very 
beginning  of  their  journey  were  permitting  delay — a 
trifling  matter  aboard  a  Chilean  steamer — to  mar  their 
pleasures.  The  South  Americans  and  the  Europeans 


60         CHANCES   IN   SOUTH   AND   CENTRAL   AMERICA 

had  provided  themselves  with  reading  matter,  easy 
chairs  and  hammocks,  and  judging  by  appearances, 
were  prepared  for  any  delay  that  might  arise. 

HOTEL  INCIDENT 

The  best  hotels  in  Lima  are  comfortable  and  the  food 
good,  although  the  latter  may  not  conform  to  the  taste 
of  the  visitor  from  the  United  States.  The  hotels  do 
not,  of  course,  compare  with  the  modern  palaces  found 
in  our  great  American  cities.  Architecture  is  different 
and  service  partakes  of  Spanish  customs. 

Let  me  relate  an  actual  occurrence.  Two  travelers 
from  the  United  States  were  stopping  at  the  same  hotel 
as  the  writer.  The  first  morning  after  their  arrival  I 
saw  them  go  to  the  dining  room,  doubtless  expecting  to 
find  breakfast  ready.  Instead  of  the  meal  and  service 
being  in  active  operation,  as  in  our  own  country  at  the 
corresponding  hour,  they  found  tables  upturned  and 
servants  cleaning  floors.  The  American  guests,  who 
declined  the  early  morning  coffee  and  rolls  previously 
sent  to  their  rooms,  were  informed  that  breakfast  would 
not  be  ready  until  eleven  o'clock.  This  was  the  uni- 
versal custom  of  the  country  in  which  they  were  sojourn- 
ing, yet  it  ruffled  the  Americans  and  they  demanded 
their  breakfasts  then  and  there.  After  hot  words  they 
were  given  something  to  eat;  the  incident,  however 
slight  as  it  was,  did  not  increase  the  cordial  feeling 
between  the  hotel  people  and  the  visitors  from  the 
United  States.  Later  the  proprietor  of  the  hotel  told 
me  that  he  had  more  trouble  trying  to  please  the  visitors 
from  North  America  than  those  from  any  other  country. 


SALESMANSHIP  51 

TYPICAL  ENGLISH   SALESMAN 

At  this  same  hotel  I  met  an  Englishman  who  was 
traveling  salesman  for  a  well  known  London  house. 
He  really  had  something  about  which  to  worry  and 
which  caused  serious  delay.  His  sample  trunks  were 
put  off  steamer  at  the  wrong  port,  which  fact  would 
necessitate  his  remaining  in  idleness  a  whole  week.  I 
saw  him  often  during  this  time  and  several  evenings  we 
dined  together.  He  had  secured  admission  to  the  lead- 
ing club  and  was  hale  fellow  well  met;  a  social  favorite 
at  the  hotel  and  club.  Finally  when  his  samples  arrived 
he  invited  me  as  well  as  all  the  guests  of  the  hotel  to 
visit  his  display;  he  lectured  about  the  manufacture  of 
his  products  and  gave  away  souvenirs  of  the  occasion. 
The  week's  delay  was  probably  about  the  best  thing 
that  could  have  happened  to  this  salesman;  it  made 
him  hosts  of  friends  among  the  business  men,  and  as  a 
consequence,  very  satisfactory  sales.  His  territory  is 
all  South  America,  the  greater  part  of  which  he  covers 
twice  a  year. 

ONE  SALESMAN'S  EXPERIENCES 

The  New  York  Times  recently  printed  an  interview 
which  one  of  its  correspondents  secured  from  a  sales- 
man who  had  spent  several  years  in  traveling  over 
South  America.  While  I  do  not  agree  with  all  the  ob- 
servations of  this  gentleman,  they  are  in  the  main, 
typical  of  many  experiences  confronting  the  average 
commercial  traveler  in  that  part  of  the  world.  Of 
course  some  commodities  sell  more  readily  than  others, 
and  this  salesman  may  have  offered  goods  for  which 
there  is  little  demand.  Here  is  what  he  said : 


52         CHANCES   IN   SOUTH  AND   CENTRAL  AMERICA 

It  is  a  great  mistake  for  anybody  who  goes  down  to  South 
America  to  do  business  to  imagine  that  you  can  just  pull  gold 
off  the  trees.  I  have  seen  fellows  traveling  down  there  who 
could  not  speak  the  language,  and  they  were  up  against  it  all 
the  time.  I  happen  to  have  lived  twenty-three  years  in  Mexico, 
and  Spanish  is  the  same  as  English  to  me.  People  down  there 
dislike  doing  business  through  an  interpreter,  unless  they  have 
been  doing  business  with  your  house  for  a  long  time.  Firms 
which  send  men  down  there  to  represent  them  ought  to  pay 
enough  to  attract  men  who  can  converse  with  the  merchants  in 
their  own  tongue.  It  is  not  an  attractive  proposition  that  is 
usually  offered,  if  the  man  who  is  to  be  sent  knows  about  con- 
ditions. 

Two  years  ago  what  promised  to  be  a  record-breaking  crop  in 
Argentina  was  ruined  by  tornadoes,  and  the  planters  have  had 
an  uphill  climb  ever  since.  In  Brazil  it  is  impossible  to  give 
away  things.  I  had  sold  a  small  order  to  a  firm  in  Rio  which 
could  not  raise  the  money  to  pay  for  the  goods  plus  the  duty, 
and  I  offered  the  stuff  to  the  Government  authorities  if  they 
would  pay  the  freight,  but  they  said  they  could  not  afford  to  do 
so.  In  Argentina,  of  course,  the  Balkan  wars  have  had  a 
very  depressing  effect,  because  their  source  of  money  supply 
has  been  cut  off.  For  another  thing,  the  country  is  experiencing 
the  reaction  from  a  big  real  estate  boom.  The  banks  have 
closed  in  on  the  borrowers,  and  the  latter  are  having  a  hard  time. 
The  Chileans  haven't  any  money,  either,  partly  because  of  the 
wars  in  Europe.  Still,  it  is  easier  to  do  business  in  Chile  than 
in  any  other  country  down  there.  People  tell  you  the  Chileans 
don't  like  Americans.  If  that  is  so,  it  is  a  good  thing,  for  it 
seems  as  if  they  cannot  get  too  much  of  our  manufactured  goods. 
In  Argentina  the  market  is  bigger,  but  the  merchants  are  much 
harder  to  deal  with.  Many  of  them  insist  upon  having  goods 
made  in  Italy  or  in  France. 

The  commercial  traveler  who  strikes  Peru  does  not  always 
have  an  easy  time.  When  I  first  went  ashore  I  had  a  sample 
case  that  was  not  worth  over  $2.  They  asked  me  its  value,  and 
I  mentioned  that  figure.  Whereupon  they  proceeded  to  soak 
me  $3  gold  in  duty.  In  Peru  you  pay  about  $9  a  day  for  your 


SALESMANSHIP  53 

hotel  board  on  the  American  plan.  Everything  that  is  not 
brought  to  you  without  your  ordering  it  you  have  to  pay  for 
extra.  In  getting  a  good,  square  meal  you  find  many  extras 
entered  upon  your  bill.  In  Peru  you  hear  always  three  expres- 
sions in  the  shops.  If  you  ask  a  merchant  whether  he  has  so 
and  so  he  will  reply,  "Si,  como  no?"  (Yes,  why  not?)  Then  if 
you  complain  of  the  price  he  will  say,  "Derechos  muy  fuertes?" 
(the  duty  is  very  high) .  Then  he  will  add  ' '  Este  se  pay  a  extra. ' ' 
(You  pay  extra).  Those  three  expressions  are  the  local  sales- 
man's stock  in  trade. 

Merchants  in  South  America  are  usually  very  easy  to  ap- 
proach, but  you  cannot  always  tell  whether  a  man  is  going  to 
give  you  an  order  or  is  stringing  you.  He  is  just  as  apt  as  not 
to  keep  you  on  tenterhooks  for  three  weeks.  They  will  do 
nothing  on  the  spur  of  the  moment.  Manufacturers  who  send 
salesmen  down  there  in  the  expectation  that  they  will  burn  up 
the  earth  have  another  guess.  You  have  to  make  a  lot  of 
allowance  for  the  manana  habit.  Why,  doing  business  in  Mex- 
ico used  to  be  a  cinch  to  what  it  is  down  there.  You  have  to 
know  the  merchant,  and  he  you,  before  he  will  do  business  with 
you,  and  you  have  to  invite  him  to  lunch  or  to  dinner  and  make 
a  fuss  over  him. 

The  cost  of  living  in  Chile  is  not  what  it  is  in  Argentina 
but  even  there  things  have  gone  up  100  per  cent,  in  the  popular 
restaurants  in  the  last  two  years.  Business  in  Montevideo  is 
in  an  awful  state. 

I  would  inform  any  American  traveling  man  who  is  about 
to  go  to  South  America  that  living  is  much  more  costly  there 
than  here.  In  Buenos  Aires  they  ask  $175  gold  a  month  for  a 
little,  unfurnished  flat  of  four  rooms.  Argentina  is  like  Mexico ; 
it  is  managed  by  a  few,  and  the  poor  man  pays  for  everything. 

Speaking  of  the  opportunities  for  young  men  in  the 
South  American  countries,  Mr.  Charles  Lyon  Chandler, 
formerly  of  the  American  Consular  Service,  who  has 
spent  years  of  labor  in  Uruguay,  Argentina,  and  Peru, 
respectively,  has  the  following  to  say,  which  should  be 


54         CHANCES   IN   SOUTH  AND   CENTRAL  AMERICA 

of  special  interest  to  any  one  contemplating  the  selling 
of  North  American  products.  Here  are  Mr.  Chandler's 
words: 

THE  NEED  OF  YOUNG  AMERICANS 

For  us  the  South  American  commercial  field  is  essentially  a 
young  man's  field. 

The  general  retail  trade — the  selling  of  general  lines  of  hard- 
ware, of  paint,  and  of  miscellaneous  dry  goods  manufactures  to 
the  retailers  of  those  countries — has  received  little  development. 
That  is  the  business  which  is  to  come,  and  I  consider  it  more 
important  in  building  sound  commercial  relations  with  other 
countries  than  the  big  business.  Of  course,  the  big  business 
makes  it  easier  for  our  exporter  to  get  the  little  orders  of  the 
retail  merchants.  But  many  other  countries,  notably  Germany, 
have  already  made  great  progress  in  clinching  the  South  Amer- 
ican retail  trade.  When  we  go  in  for  that  business  we  shall 
have  to  fight  for  it,  and  it  is  only  the  young  men  of  our  country 
who  can  secure  it  for  us. 

Why?  Because  little  orders  are  placed  with  friends.  For 
the  drummer  selling  to  Jeremiah  Smith,  of  Kalamazoo,  it  is 
worth  a  good  many  orders  to  gain  the  good  graces  of  Mrs. 
Smith,  and  it  is  a  strong  point  for  that  drummer  to  be  on  such 
terms  of  easy  familiarity  that  he  can  ask  if  Jeremiah,  Jr.,  has 
recovered  from  the  measles.  This  is  just  as  valuable  with 
Seftor  Alvarez,  of  Montevideo.  Indeed,  it  is  much  more 
valuable.  You  know  that  in  our  own  country  the  element  of 
personal  relations  in  business  getting  is  much  stronger  in  the 
South  than  in  the  North,  and  if  you  multiply  this  difference 
many  times  you  will  have  a  very  good  idea  of  the  importance 
of  personal  relations  in  business  fields  in  South  America. 

One  of  the  hardest  things  for  an  American  salesman,  newly 
come  to  a  South  American  State,  to  understand  is  why  he  must 
spend  so  many  precious  days  simply  attempting  to  gain  a 
social  entree  to  the  dons  as  a  preface  to  the  privilege  of  placing  a 
business  proposition  before  them.  The  only  reason  is  that  it  is 
the  Latin's  way,  and  if  his  business  is  to  be  gotten  the  American 
salesman  must  first  learn  and  appreciate  his  customs. 


SALESMANSHIP  55 

Only  the  young  man  can  do  this.  He  has  the  adaptability 
and  the  years  to  spend  at  the  task.  He  expects  to  spend  a  long 
time  preparing  himself.  Germans  in  the  foreign  trade  are 
trained  from — well,  I  often  wonder  how  many  years  a  German 
will  spend  just  to  saturate  himself  with  a  knowledge  of  the 
country  where  he  is  to  be  his  firm's  business  getter.  A  German 
does  not  leave  his  country  for  a  business  tour  to  drum  up  busi- 
ness. He  comes  to  live  in  the  South  American  country,  and 
when  you  find  him  finally  established  he  has  become  about  the 
nearest  facsimile  of  a  South  American  incidentally  engaged  in 
representing  a  German  house  that  you  can  imagine.  And  this 
is  why  the  Germans  are  getting  the  general  trade  of  these  coun- 
tries. 

Commenting  on  the  number  of  commercial  travelers 
from  the  United  States  now  visiting  South  American 
countries,  Mr.  Charles  M.  Pepper,  formerly  commercial 
adviser  to  the  United  States  Department  of  State, 
makes  some  interesting  comparisons.  Here  are  his 
remarks : 

It  is  possible  to  make  some  comparisons  with  previous  trips 
ten  and  five  years  ago.  There  were  as  many  Germans  five 
years  back  as  now.  About  the  same  proportion  of  French  and 
Italian  commercial  travelers  are  met  with  as  would  have  been 
encountered  at  any  time  during  the  last  ten  years.  For  every 
American  met  with  ten  years  ago,  three  are  met  today,  and 
twice  as  many  as  five  years  ago.  Many  of  these  Americans  are 
coming  down  in  connection  with  the  mining  investments  made 
by  two  or  three  American  groups  of  capitalists,  but  there  is  a 
marked  increase  in  the  number  of  commercial  travelers.  The 
most  remarkable  thing  about  the  American  commercial  trav- 
elers is  that  all  of  them  speak  Spanish. 

A  few  years  age  it  was  rather  an  unusual  thing  to  find  an 
American  drummer  who  knew  the  language  of  these  countries. 
Now  the  class  of  men  who  are  coming  down  not  only  know  the 
language,  but,  apparently,  are  also  familiar  with  the  customs 
and  the  trade  requirements.  This  is  the  most  gratifying  and  at 


56         CHANCES   IN   SOUTH   AND   CENTRAL   AMERICA 

the  same  time  the  most  significant  sign  that  American  manu- 
facturers have  at  last  gone  about  getting  business  in  South 
America  in  an  intelligent  manner. 

Some  queries  are  raised  by  the  Europeans  regarding  the 
increased  number  of  Americans  who  are  now  on  the  west  coast. 
They  seem  to  be  less  concerned  over  the  commercial  travelers 
than  over  the  number  of  people  who  have  been  coming  down  in 
connection  with  the  mining  and  kindred  enterprises,  but  both 
classes  are  giving  them  concern.  They  take  it  good  naturedly, 
at  least  the  English  do,  but  back  of  this  good  nature  serious 
inquiries  are  given  voice  as  to  whether  a  breach  is  going  to  be 
made  in  their  fortifications. 

The  English  feel  they  have  historic  trade  rights  on  the  west 
coast.  They  got  in  a  century  ago,  as  soon  as  the  struggle  for 
independence  by  Chile,  Peru  and  Bolivia  ended  successfully. 
It  is  to  be  said  for  them,  also,  that  they  poured  their  money 
liberally  into  investments  that  no  other  country  would  touch. 
They  reaped  their  reward  in  the  riches  that  flowed  from  the 
guanos  and  the  nitrates.  The  Germans  came  along  so  quietly 
that  the  old-established  English  houses  hardly  felt  it  as  an 
invasion,  nor  do  they  yet  look  on  it  quite  in  that  sense. 


TEACHING 

SCHOLARSHIPS 

In  speaking  with  a  distinguished  South  American 
statesman  about  the  employment  of  foreign  teachers 
in  his  country  the  latter  declared  that  the  influence  of 
the  teacher  from  the  United  States  is  marvelous,  and 
is  of  more  value  to  Latin  America  than  vast  combina- 
tions of  capital.  He  believes  that  the  teacher,  whether 
from  North  America  or  Europe,  will  have  for  many  years 
a  conspicuous  part  to  play  in  the  upbuilding  of  Latin- 
American  countries;  he  encourages  their  coming  and 
believes  that  there  is  no  force  so  powerful  in  moulding 
the  peoples  of  the  two  Americas  into  closer  friendship 
and  commercial  association  than  the  influence  exerted 
by  the  able  and  conscientious  teacher. 

Six  years  ago,  a  North  American  established  a  school 
in  La  Paz,  Bolivia,  known  as  the  American  Institute,  and 
so  important  has  the  institution  become  that  new  build- 
ings are  to  be  erected  to  accommodate  1000  students, 
the  cost  of  improvements  being  something  like  $80,000; 
and  one  of  the  contributors  to  the  fund  is  our  own 
Secretary  of  State.  The  Bolivian  government  annually 
appropriates  a  large  sum  for  aiding  this  educational 
work.  Most  of  the  teachers  are  from  the  United 
States. 

Several  North  Americans  have  recently  established 
on  the  shores  of  Lake  Titicaca,  a  school  for  Indians. 
This  school  is  the  result  of  a  bequest  of  a  large  sum  of 

57 


58         CHANCES   IN   SOUTH   AND   CENTRAL   AMERICA 

money  by  a  wealthy  gentleman,  who  having  visited 
Bolivia  and  seen  the  degree  of  illiteracy  prevailing 
among  the  descendants  of  the  Incas,  decided  to  start 
the  benevolent  work  of  instruction.  The  movement 
has  been  successfully  launched,  a  large  farm  has  been 
acquired,  and  today  there  are  more  than  forty  young 
Indians  in  this  new  institution.  The  principal  of  the 
school  is  most  enthusiastic  and  believes  that  he  and 
his  co-laborers  have  a  wonderful  field  of  usefulness 
before  them.  The  Indians,  too,  are  enthusiastic  schol- 
ars, and  in  a  letter  the  principal  states  that  some  of 
them  even  come  to  the  buildings  before  daylight  in  the 
mornings.  It  is  likely  that  other  funds  will  be  available 
soon  and  the  work  extended  in  the  trades  and  mechanic 
arts. 

Bolivia  is  typical.  In  many  other  sections  of  Latin 
America  there  are  opportunities  for  teachers,  but  it 
must  be  remembered  that  comparatively  few  teachers 
in  the  United  States  have  a  knowledge  of  the  Spanish 
and  Portuguese  languages  without  which,  in  a  Latin 
country,  teachers  especially  would  be  greatly  handi- 
capped, even  should  they  procure  positions. 

The  United  States  Department  of  Education  has 
reported  that  it  has  had  numerous  calls  from  Latin- 
American  countries  for  teachers  but  that  the  bureau 
has  experienced  great  difficulty  in  finding  those  of  the 
desired  ability  combined  with  a  teaching  knowledge  of 
Spanish. 

The  interchange  of  students  and  professors,  a  move- 
ment that  was  officially  advocated  by  the  last  Pan- 
American  Congress,  which  met  in  Buenos  Aires,  and 


TEACHING  59 

which  subject  is  a  theme  for  further  action  at  the  next 
conference  to  be  held  at  Santiago  in  1914,  promises  a 
development  of  inter-teaching  that  is  likely  to  open 
opportunities  for  more  teachers  from  the  United  States. 

In  Brazil  I  had  the  pleasure  of  traveling  some  days 
with  a  Virginian,  who  had  resided  in  the  former 
country  for  twenty  years.  He  went  to  Brazil  as  a 
missionary,  and  his  work  gradually  branched  out  into 
educational  fields.  Today  this  gentleman  is  at  the 
head  of  a  large  and  flourishing  institution  of  learning  in 
an  interior  section  of  the  great  Brazilian  Republic. 
He  told  me  that  no  youth  however  poor  or  wretched,  is 
ever  turned  from  the  institution  for  lack  of  funds;  he 
is  put  to  work  improving  his  mind  or  learning  a  trade. 
There  are  many  subjects  as  well  as  useful  trades  taught; 
and  the  efforts  of  Dr.  Gannon,  for  that  is  the  name  of 
this  missionary,  have  been  most  favorably  received  by 
the  people  and  financially  encouraged  by  the  govern- 
ment. 

This  example  is  only  one  of  the  many  that  might  be 
cited  tending  to  illustrate  the  demand  and  the  field  for 
the  competent  teacher.  Like  similar  work  in  the 
United  States,  and  generally  speaking,  it  is  a  service 
for  which  the  financial  returns  are  not  satisfactory.  To 
those  having  a  philanthropic  tendency,  either  in  money 
or  service,  there  is  a  wonderful  field  awaiting  culti- 
vation. 


60         CHANCES   IN   SOUTH  AND   CENTRAL  AMERICA 


THE   UNITED   STATES   BUREAU   OF   EDUCATION  POINTS 


OUT  OPPORTUNITIES1 

Many  well-paid  teaching  positions  in  Latin  America 
open  to  Americans  will  probably  be  filled  by  men  from 
other  countries  because  of  the  lack  of  trained  men  in  the 
United  States  with  a  speaking  knowledge  of  Spanish, 
according  to  L.  A.  Kalbach,  chief  clerk  of  the  Bureau  of 
Education.  Mr.  Kalbach  points  out,  the  Bureau  of 
Education,  at  the  request  of  the  State  Department, 
has  scoured  the  country  in  search  of  educators  for 
responsible  positions  in  Latin-American  countries, 
only  to  find  that  those  who  might  qualify  in  other 
particulars  can  not  speak  the  language. 

The  American  minister  to  Panama  recently  asked 
the  United  States  government  to  recommend  candidates 
for  positions  as  instructors  of  industrial  arts,  agriculture 
and  veterinary  technique  in  Panama.  Salaries  up  to 
$2400  and  other  inducements  were  offered.  The  Bureau 
of  Education  communicated  with  various  institutions 
and  organizations  that  usually  have  a  list  of  available 
candidates,  but  in  this  case  the  response  was  meagre 
because  of  the  language  requirement, 

"None  of  our  industrial  art  experts  speak  Spanish," 
wrote  an  officer  of  one  of  our  best-known  teacher- 
training  institutes.  Others  declared  that  while  they 
knew  of  men  who  would  meet  the  requirements,  so  far 
as  professional  attainments  and  teaching  experiences 
were  concerned,  they  knew  of  none  who  had  the  added 
requirement  of  Spanish. 

1  Quoted  from  a  press  release  story  of  the  U.  S.  Bureau  of 
Education. 


TEACHING  61 

The  bureau  notes  that  although  Spanish  is  taught  in 
many  American  institutions  of  learning,  comparatively, 
few  students  avail  themselves  of  the  opportunity  to 
learn  it.  Sometimes  students  neglect  the  courses  be- 
cause they  feel  that  a  high  school  or  college  course  in 
Spanish  will  not  furnish  the  necessary  conversational 
knowledge.  This  difficulty  has  long  been  recognized  in 
all  modern  language  instruction,  and  in  Spanish,  partic- 
ularly, practical  control  of  the  language  is  not  insisted 
upon. 

TEACHERS  IN  ARGENTINA 

The  following  data  was  furnished  by  the  Pan-Amer- 
ican Union,  Washington: 

With  the  development  which  the  public,  secondary  and 
special  instruction  has  attained  during  the  last  few  years  in  the 
Argentine  Republic,  there  should  be  ample  opportunity  for 
well-trained  and  prepared  teachers,  but  it  must  be  borne  in 
mind  that  a  successful  teacher  in  the  Argentine  Republic  must 
have  a  thorough  knowledge  of  the  Spanish  language,  and  Ameri- 
can teachers,  if  they  possess  such  knowledge  and  are  thoroughly 
competent,  can  frequently  obtain  employment,  either  in  the 
Government  schools  or  in  private  educational  institutions. 

It  is  not  advisable,  however,  to  undertake  the  trip,  unless 
one  has  a  position  assured  in  advance,  or  unless  one  is  prepared 
to  take  his  chances  and  wait  for  a  vacancy,  and  in  that  case  one 
should  have  sufficient  means  to  live  for  at  least  three  or  four 
months.  In  this  connection  it  must  be  borne  in  mind  that 
living  expenses  in  Buenos  Aires  are  from  15  to  20  per  cent  higher 
than  in  any  city  of  the  United  States. 

According  to  the  last  official  report  there  were  in  Argentina 
4,744  public  schools  for  primary  instruction  maintained  by  the 
Federal  Government,  with  an  enrollment  of  666,534  pupils  and 
18,061  teachers,  aside  from  the  numerous  schools  supported  by 
the  various  Provinces. 


62         CHANCES   IN   SOUTH  AND   CENTRAL   AMERICA 

Primary  education  is  compulsory  and  free  in  the  Argentine 
Republic — secondary  education  is  not  compulsory  and  is  also 
practically  free,  only  a  small  fee  being  charged  for  registration. 

Sixteen  lyceums  and  35  normal  schools  provide  for  secondary 
education,  while  the  National  Universities  at  Cordoba  and 
Buenos  Aires  and  the  provincial  Universities  of  La  Plata,  Santa 
F6  and  Parana  provide  for  higher  education  with  faculties  for 
law  and  social  sciences,  medicine,  exact,  physical  and  natural 
sciences,  and  philosophy  and  literature. 

Special  education  is  provided  by  the  National  Schools  of 
Commerce,  the  School  of  Mines,  the  Agrarian  and  Veterinary 
School,  the  School  of  Viticulture  and  the  National  School  of 
Pilots,  while  the  Industrial  School  at  Buenos  Aires  maintains 
elaborate  workshops  for  the  teaching  of  trades  and  crafts. 

A  National  Conservatory  of  Music,  a  School  of  Art  and  a 
School  of  Drawing  are  other  educational  institutions  main- 
tained by  the  Argentine  Government,  as  also  the  National 
Museum  of  History,  of  Fine  Arts  and  two  Museums  of  Natural 
History,  one  at  Buenos  Aires  and  one  at  La  Plata. 

The  Normal  Schools  are  modelled  largely  after  those  of  the 
United  States. 

The  Inspector  General  is  Senor  Valentin  Berrondo,2  and  his 
address:  Senor  Valentin  Berrondo,  Inspector  General  de 
Ensenanza  Secundaria,  Normal  y  Especial,  Calle  Cochabamba 
2050,  Buenos  Aires,  Argentina. 

OPPORTUNITIES   FOR  AMERICANS  IN  URUGUAY 

Extract  from  letter  of  Dr.  Edgar  Ewing  Brandon, 
Vice-President  of  Miami  University,  of  Oxford,  Ohio, 
Februarys,  1913: 

Answering  your  letter  of  recent  date,  I  beg  to  say  that  when 
I  was  in  Uruguay  I  found  a  great  many  foreigners  in  the  educa- 
tional service  of  the  republic.  At  that  time  an  American  was 


8  Names  of  officials  may  change  but  the  title  is  usually  suf- 
ficient to  carry  an  application  to  the  proper  person. 


TEACHING  63 

Director  of  the  Veterinary  School.  I  understand  that  he  has 
since  resigned  and  returned,  however,  to  the  United  States. 

A  Frenchman  was  Director  of  the  School  of  Arts  and  Crafts, 
and  a  German  Temporary  Director  of  the  Agricultural  School. 
In  the  faculties  of  all  these  institutions  there  were  other  for- 
eigners. 

Uruguay  is  very  hospitable  to  foreigners  and  if  there  is  any 
vacancy  in  educational  positions,  I  feel  sure  the  government 
would  not  hesitate  to  employ  a  foreigner  to  fill  the  post.  Amer- 
icans are  in  good  favor  in  Uruguay.  As  far  as  I  learned  at 
that  time,  there  were  no  foreigners  in  regular  university  work  at 
Montevideo,  and  I  do  not  think  there  were  any  in  the  Normal 
School  and  few,  if  any,  in  the  secondary  schools,  or  in  the  De- 
partment of  Superintendence. 

Considering  that  Mr. is  a  scientist,  I  would  regard 

his  chances  of  securing  employment  in  Uruguay  as  very  good. 
I  remember  of  reading,  while  on  my  way  home,  that  some  Amer- 
icans had  gone  under  special  contract  to  Uruguay  to  give 
instruction  in  methods  of  dry  farming.  This  fact  in  itself  indi- 
cates the  attitude  of  the  Republic  of  Uruguay  towards  the 
employment  of  foreigners  in  their  scientific  and  educational 
system. 

Students  may  be  interested  in  the  recent  offer  of  the 
government  of  Guatemala  to  give  free  scholarships 
in  that  country's  various  colleges  to  students  from 
the  United  States.  These  scholarships  include  books, 
rooms,  uniforms  and  laundry;  and  the  young  persons 
who  secure  these  appointments  will  have  fine  oppor- 
tunities for  general  study  of  Central  American  life 
and  conditions  as  well  as  various  academic  courses  of 
the  institutions. 


JOURNALISM— CORRESPONDENCE 

As  a  suggestion  to  aspiring  journalists  the  success  of 
the  New  York  newspaper  man1  who  went  to  Peru  about 
five  years  ago  might  be  mentioned.  He  secured  the 
good  will  and  some  assistance  from  the  government 
and  established  Peru  Today,  which  has  grown  to  be 
an  important  illustrated  monthly.  A  year  ago  the 
same  gentleman  started  the  West  Coast  Leader,  and 
at  present  large  editions  in  both  English  and  Spanish 
circulate  up  and  down  the  Peruvian  and  Chilean  coasts 
and  many  copies  reach  subscribers  in  the  United  States 
and  Europe. 

A  year  ago  at  Asuncion,  Paraguay,  a  little  English 
journal  made  its  first  appearance.  It  is  known  as 
Paraguay  and  judging  by  its  gradual  expansion,  the 
enterprise  must  be  meeting  with  success.  Its  twenty 
pages  are  filled  with  interesting  articles,  industrial  and 
commercial  matters,  and  social  happenings  of  that 
country;  and  it  is  about  the  only  publication  that  comes 
from  the  very  heart  of  South  America  to  English-speak- 
ing subscribers  in  Europe  and  North  America. 

Prior  to  the  troubles  in  Mexico  there  were  a  number 
of  papers  printed  in  English  in  the  various  cities 
and  towns,  the  Mexican  Herald,  of  the  capital,  leading 
with  a  circulation  of  10,000;  the  Monterrey  News 
published  both  Spanish  and  English  editions,  while 
Tampico  had  two  English  weeklies. 

1  Mr.  John  V.  Noel. 

64 


JOURNALISM — CORRESPONDENCE  05 

The  Uruguay  Weekly  News,  of  Montevideo,  is  in  its 
sixteenth  volume;  it  is  a  12-page  journal  and  carries 
quantities  of  advertising  matter,  the  latter  fact  alone 
indicating  a  prosperous  condition. 

Other  papers  printed  in  English  or  in  English  and 
Spanish  and  which  have  been  more  or  less  successful  are: 
Independent,  of  Colon;  Star  and  Herald,  of  Panama, 
65  years  old;  The  Cuba  News,  of  Havana,  with  its  16 
pages  of  weekly  news;  The  American,  a  weekly  published 
at  Bluefields,  Nicaragua;  The  Porto  Rico  Progress,  the 
only  English  newspaper  in  that  Island;  The  Isle  of 
Pines  Appeal,  which  claims  to  have  the  largest  paid 
circulation  of  any  English  newspaper  published  in  the 
West  Indies.  The  well  known  Standard,  of  Buenos 
Aires,  is  a  16-page  journal  which  dates  from  1861,  and 
which  has  a  daily  circulation  of  15,000. 

Great  cities,  like  Buenos  Aires  with  many  thousands 
of  English-speaking  people,  are  probably  sufficiently 
cultivated  by  the  English  newspapers,  but  the  author 
has  reference  more  particularly  to  the  smaller  cities 
and  towns  where  in  many  instances,  the  Spanish  news- 
papers show  a  lack  of  enterprise  in  their  whole  aspect 
and  general  make-up.  I  also  believe  that  a  field  exists 
for  more  extensive  newspaper  correspondence  between 
the  hundreds  of  journals  of  North  and  Central  and 
South  America. 

At  the  time  Mr.  Taft  was  inaugurated  President  of 
the  United  States,  I  happened  to  be  in  a  small  South 
American  city,  and  I  could  find  only  two  lines  in  the 
local  papers  about  the  event  and  was  compelled  to 
await  private  letters  to  learn  the  general  news  of  the 
United  States.  This  example  is  typical  of  the  dearth 


66         CHANCES   IN   SOUTH   AND   CENTRAL  AMERICA 

of  North  American  news  in  the  smaller  South  American 
cities. 

Of  course  not  all  Latin  cities  have  sufficient  English- 
speaking  people  to  warrant  the  establishment  in  their 
midst  of  a  newspaper  printed  in  English  but  as  the 
various  cities  grow  and  North  American  and  English 
interests  become  more  important,  the  field  for  modern 
newspaper  enterprise  widens,  and  the  man  with  expe- 
rience and  newspaper  instinct  might  at  least  investi- 
gate what  Lathi  America  offers. 

In  San  Jose,  Costa  Rica,  another  man  from  the 
United  States  furnishes  an  example  of  what  may  be 
done  in  the  printing  and  publishing  business.  A  few 
years  ago  he  went  to  the  Costa  Rican  city  with  very 
small  capital  but  much  experience  in  printing  offices. 
Quite  recently  this  gentleman  showed  me  through  his 
printing  plant,  now  grown  to  be  a  very  prosperous 
industry,  with  scores  of  native  employees  who  turn  out 
excellent  work  which  finds  a  ready  sale  all  over  Central 
America.  The  modern  and  splendid  work  appeals  to 
the  best  business  interests. 

Another  journalistic  field  probably  not  yet  over- 
crowded and  one  possible  of  expansion,  is  found  in  the 
magazines  published  in  the  United  States  in  the  Spanish 
or  partly  in  the  Spanish  language  and  circulated  all 
over  Latin  America.2  As  examples  of  these  we  have  La 
Hacienda,  a  high  grade  and  most  useful  magazine  of 
Buffalo;  the  Pan  American  Review,  Latin  America, 
and  Mercurio,  of  New  Orleans;  the  American  Exporter, 
Dun's  International  Review,  American  Industries,  Nova- 

*  Also  see  Appendix. 


JOURNALISM — CORRESPONDENCE  67 

dades,  Commercio,  South  American,  of  New  York;  the 
Bulletins  of  the  Pan  American  Union,  Washington; 
El  Sender -o,  Teosofico,  of  Point  Loma,  California;  Revista 
Ilustrado,  of  Saint  Louis;  Commercial  America,  Phila- 
delphia; and  scores  of  others  which  may  be  seen  in 
most  city  libraries.  Such  journals  are  gradually  grow- 
ing in  number  and  influence,  and  to  those  having  a 
wide  and  intimate  knowledge  of  Latin- American  affairs 
there  would  seem  to  be,  from  time  to  time,  quite  a 
number  of  business  openings  in  connection  with  the 
editing  and  publishing  of  these  magazines. 

Apropos  of  some  of  the  newspaper  opportunities 
referred  to  in  this  chapter,  another  English  journal  has 
recently  made  its  appearance,  this  time  in  Valparaiso, 
Chile.  The  following  announcement  is  taken  from  the 
West  Coast  Leader,  of  Lima,  Peru : 

The  Chilian  News,  a  new  English  weekly,  has  appeared  in 
Valparaiso,  in  competition  with  The  South  Pacific  Mail.  The 
new  paper  presents  a  very  creditable  appearance,  is  printed  on 
fine  paper,  well  illustrated,  has  sixteen  pages,  and  retails  at  20 
centavoft  a  copy.  The  first  number  appeared  on  November  21. 

The  editors  of  the  new  publications  in  their  foreword  outline 
the  policy  of  The  News  as  follows : 

"The  Chilian  News,  as  a  purely  Anglo-Saxon  undertaking,  will 
endeavour  to  uphold  the  honour  of  the  Old  Country,  and  to  safe- 
guard the  interests  of  one  and  all  of  its  people,  which  a  more 
powerful  will  than  their  own,  at  times,  has  moved  to  these  far- 
away shores  and  people,  in  whose  midst,  however,  kind  hospi- 
tality and  a  convenient  means  of  livelihood  do  not  lack.  None 
the  less,  care  will  be  exercised  not  to  see  things  in  a  too  imperial- 
istic light,  and  all  international  affairs  will  be  handled  with 
strict  impartiality.  Nor  is  this  all.  The  American  and  Ger- 
man residents  of  Chile  will  find  this  little  publication  as  keen  in 
the  upkeep  and  protection  of  their  good  cause  as  if  it  were  its 


68         CHANCES   IN   SOUTH   AND    CENTRAL   AMERICA 

own,  and  it  will  look  after  their  respective  interests  in  the  right 
way,  serving  them  faithfully,  respectfully  and  enthusiastically. 

But  the  work  of  The  Chilian  News  does  not  end  here. 
Amongst  the  principal  duties  it  is  by  nature  called  on  to  fulfill 
is  that  of  furthering  the  already  satisfactorily  commercial  and 
social  relations  existing  between  Chile  and  the  Anglo-Saxon 
nation  of  the  world.  It  will  help  waive  the  still  unfortunately 
too  mistaken  idea  which  people  abroad  have  in  regard  to  Chile, 
and  it  will  avail  itself  of  every  opportunity  to  encourage  the 
influx  of  foreign  capital  and  immigration. 

We  think  to  have  acquainted  our  friends  and  supporters 
with  our  intentions  as  far  as  necessary.  There  are  many  diffi- 
culties to  be  overcome  before  this  little  venture  can,  in  justice 
be  called  a  success,  but  we  set  about  the  work  in  high  spirits, 
hopeful  as  to  the  turning  point  of  the  future,  and  enthusi- 
astically, finding  consolation  in  the  thought  that  many  of  the 
English-speaking  people  here  will  make  The  Chilian  News  their 
medium  of  inter-communication  between  themselves  and  the 
people  abroad,  since  it  tells  them  all  about  Home,  and  Home  all 
about  them. 


MANUFACTURING 

Broadly  speaking  and  compared  with  similar  indus- 
tries of  the  United  States  and  Europe,  the  business  of 
manufacturing  in  Latin-American  countries  is  in  its 
infancy.  A  study  of  the  countries  shows  a  few  great 
manufacturing  concerns  like  the  Liebigs  of  Argentina 
and  Uruguay;  the  cotton  mills  of  Peru;  the  Monterrey 
works  of  Mexico;  the  locomotive  works  of  Chile;  the 
cotton  mills  of  Brazil,  one  district  of  which  employs 
8000  workmen;  but  such  great  business  enterprises  as 
these  and  also  those  of  other  Latin  countries  where 
vast  capital  is  invested,  do  not  belong  to  the  province 
of  this  little  work.  There  are,  however,  countless 
opportunities  for  small  factories  where  only  a  moderate 
sum  of  money  is  necessary  for  outfitting  a  plant.  For 
instance  the  establishment  of  canning  factories,  laun- 
dries, ice  plants,  creameries,  pottery  works,  glass,  tile, 
brick,  sewer  pipe,  and  many  other  smaller  lines  of 
manufacturing  might  be  investigated  by  persons 
especially  interested  in  this  work. 

As  an  example  of  the  success  of  the  modern  dairy 
the  establishment  at  the  small  town  of  Tingo  on  the 
Southern  Railway  of  Peru,  shows  what  may  be  done 
even  in  mountainous  sections.  The  demand  for  the 
butter  and  cheese  from  a  certain  modern  plant  on  the 
Guayaquil  and  Quito  Railway  also  offers  another 
illustration  of  what  up-to-date  methods,  combined 
with  small  capital  and  brains,  can  accomplish. 

Another  example  of  the  success  of  the  modern  cream- 
ery is  that  recently  established  at  Maracay,  Venezuela. 


70         CHANCES   IN   SOUTH  AND   CENTRAL  AMERICA 

The  prosperity  of  the  enterprise  is  assured  and  its 
products  are  already  in  demand;  the  proprietors  are  so 
pleased  with  the  venture  that  they  are  investigating 
other  sections  of  the  republic  with  a  view  of  one  or 
more  branch  establishments. 

Peru  has  cheap  sugar  and  a  moderate  yield  of  fruits, 
Indian  corn,  etc.;  importation  statistics  show  that 
quantities  of  canned  goods  and  preserves  are  annually 
purchased.  A  cannery  and  preserving  factory  started 
on  a  small  scale  should  prove  a  profitable  venture  if 
managed  by  an  experienced  person  and  under  the 
moral  support  of  the  government. 

Immense  quantities  of  sulphur  are  available  in  the 
Republic  and  this  fact  suggests  the  manufacture  of 
sulphuric  acid,  an  article  of  extensive  consumption  in 
Peru.  Alcohol  being  cheap,  it  might  be  possible  to 
make  varnishes,  dyes,  and  paints.  Scores  of  more  or 
less  similar  industries  would  have  a  virgin  field.  Indeed 
many  cities  and  towns  present  innumerable  manufac- 
turing opportunities.  Cuba  for  instance,  has  only  three 
modern  shoe  manufacturing  concerns,  all  of  which  are 
located  in  Havana.  These  establishments  turn  out  on 
an  average  three  hundred  and  seventy-five  pairs  of 
shoes  a  week,  which  does  not  begin  to  supply  domes- 
tic needs.  In  five  years  the  importation  of  footwear 
increased  100  per  cent;  and  the  present  shoe  trade  of 
the  Island  amounts  to  $4,000,000  annually. 

As  to  wages  paid  workers  in  Cuba  a  factory  foreman 
earns  $15  a  week;  other  employees  about  $1.75  per  day; 
the  shoes  manufactured  are  sold  to  dealers  at  from  $20 
to  $40  a  dozen  pairs;  and  the  retailer  usually  demands  a 
profit  of  from  15  to  25  per  cent. 


MANUFACTURING  71 

When  it  is  remembered  that  these  suggestions  refer 
to  only  a  small  section  of  one  or  two  countries  and  that 
various  other  republics  offer  as  many  or  even  a  greater 
number  of  opportunities  in  manufacturing  lines,  the 
fields  open  for  further  investigations  are  enormous. 
Where  the  small  manufacturer  in  the  United  States  is 
crowded  out  by  the  countless  giant  concerns  that  have 
unlimited  capital,  the  Latin-American  countries  un- 
doubtedly invite  the  closest  study. 

Again,  the  waste  from  stores  and  shops  that  may  be 
seen  in  most  of  the  Latin  cities  is  turned  to  profit  in 
the  United  States — it  is  manufactured  into  useful 
commodities,  such  as  fibre  products  and  scores  of  other 
things  of  that  nature. 

Most,  if  not  all  of  the  Latin  countries  welcome  manu- 
facturing concerns,  and  in  many  cases  lands  for  factory 
sites  are  donated,  machinery  is  admitted  free  of  duty, 
and  other  inducements  are  offered,  The  rapid  increase 
of  electric  power  and  the  countless  water  courses  that 
are  being  harnessed  are  factors  that  might  also  be  taken 
into  consideration  by  those  investigating  manufacturing 
prospects.  An  illustration  of  the  larger  factory  going 
into  the  field  of  production  of  raw  material  is  furnished 
by  the  Goodyear  Rubber  Company,  which  is  now  build- 
ing a  factory  in  Brazil  and,  by  utilizing  the  Amazon 
rubber,  will  endeavor  to  supply  the  whole  of  South 
America  with  rubber  goods  of  all  descriptions. 

Manufacturing  hi  the  Central  American  States  is 
also  still  in  its  infancy,  although  the  raw  products  are 
available  for  many  varieties  of  manufacture.  Hon- 
duras, for  illustration,  may  be  taken  as  typical  of  the 
other  Republics.  This  country  has  fifty-nine  factories, 


72         CHANCES   IN   SOUTH   AND   CENTRAL   AMERICA 

which  make  soap,  candles,  ice,  beer,  cement,  cigars,  and 
shoes;  most  of  these  works  are  on  a  very  small  scale,  but 
modern  machinery  is  used  in  some  of  them.  In  an 
interior  section  there  are  several  mills  which  make 
flour,  rum,  and  refine  sugar,  while  the  capital  city  has 
quite  a  prosperous  shoe  factory  with  modern  machinery. 
Many  North  Americans  and  Europeans  are  greatly 
interested  in  the  development  of  manufacturing  in 
Argentina,  inasmuch  as  a  field  for  the  sale  of  manu- 
factured products  is  enlarged  or  lessened  according  to 
progress  in  this  line.  Mr.  H.  T.  Gordon-Ross,  formerly 
a  journalist  of  Buenos  Aires  anticipating  the  desire  for 
information  on  this  important  subject,  thus  discusses 
the  question: 

When  one  looks  for  manufactures  in  Argentina  one  is  at  once 
confronted  by  the  lack  of  native  fuel.  Practically  no  coal  has 
yet  been  found,  or  any  adequate  quantities  of  really  useful 
petroleum.  Some  factories  there  are,  notably  one  large  one  in 
Buenos  Aires,  belonging  to  an  Italian  firm,  which  turns  out 
excellent  cloth  and  linen.  Strange  as  it  may  appear,  however, 
this  important  establishment  in  effect  denies  its  own  existence. 
The  present  writer,  while  at  one  time  in  search  of  statistical 
information  regarding  the  workers  employed  in  factories,  was 
blandly  told  by  the  manager  that  the  firm  were  not  manufac- 
turers but  importers.  As  a  matter  of  fact  they  are  both,  since 
they  send  their  stuffs  away,  usually  not  farther  than  across  the 
river  to  Montevideo,  from  whence  they  return  as  European 
goods.  By  this  method  a  much  better  price  is  obtained  for  a 
really  first-class  article  than  if  it  had  been  put  on  the  market  as 
of  native  manufacture.  For  this  the  Argentine  has  himself 
to  blame.  In  his  new-found  prosperity  Europe  is  the  promised 
land  to  which  he  makes  trips  as  often  as  and  sometimes  more 
frequently  than  his  income  permits.  Paris  is  his  Mecca  and, 
even  more  intensely  so,  that  of  the  ladies  of  his  family.  There- 
fore French  clothes  stand  highest  in  his  and  their  esteem,  as 


MANUFACTURING  73 

do  most  articles  of  greater  luxury  which  come  from  France.     If 

the  Argentine  is  not  always  the  best  judge  of  the  value  he  gets 

for  his  money,  he  takes  care  that  he  gets  plenty  to  show  for  it. 

***** 

The  following  list  of  manufacturing  enterprises  in 
Latin  American  countries,  while  not  entirely  complete, 
may  be  regarded  as  typical  of  the  various  industries 
that  have  sprung  up  within  recent  years: 

Argentina — 330  flour  mills;  cotton  mills;  62  weaving 
establishments,  8  meat  freezing  plants;  sugar  mills, 
furniture  factories,  machine  shops,  leather  goods 
factories,  shoe  factories,  book  binderies,  clothing  fac- 
tories, works  for  construction  materials,  beer,  wine, 
spirits,  plants,  etc. 

Bolivia — A  shoe  factory;  several  breweries;  primitive 
pottery;  match  factory;  various  minor  industries,  such 
as  the  making  of  Indian  blankets,  ponchos,  etc. 

Brazil — Cotton,  silk,  flour,  sugar,  and  other  mills; 
leather  goods  factories;  breweries;  tobacco,  shoe,  cloth- 
ing, hat,  wine,  rubber,  and  other  factories.  Powder 
factory  at  Piquete. 

Chile — Manufactures  food  products,  beer,  wine, 
shoes,  clothing,  leather  goods,  vehicles,  furniture,  pot- 
tery, textiles;  machine  shops,  which  are  beginning  to 
make  locomotives. 

Colombia — Iron  works,  sugar  mill  machinery,  cast- 
ings, matches,  furniture,  cotton  mills,  breweries,  etc. 

Costa  Rica — Distillation  of  spirits,  shoe,  wagon, 
leather  goods,  rope  factories. 

Cuba — Shoe  and  leather  factories,  sugar  mills,  can- 
ning and  preserving  works,  match  factory,  ice  plant. 


74        CHANCES   IN   SOUTH  AND   CENTRAL  AMERICA 

Dominican  Republic — Sugar  mills  and  various 
small  articles  of  home  consumption. 

Ecuador — Hat  factories,  flour  mills,  breweries,  sugar 
and  chocolate  factories,  crude  calico  factory. 

Guatemala — Candle,  soap,  ice,  furniture,  and  hat 
factories.  Tanneries,  several  breweries,  sugar  mills, 
and  native  pottery. 

Haiti — Shoe  factories,  the  output  of  which  is  nearly 
sufficient  for  the  country's  needs;  soap,  match,  rum, 
and  a  few  other  small  establishments. 

Honduras — Hat,  cigar,  tobacco,  shoe,  ice,  cement, 
candle,  and  a  number  of  other  small  industries. 

Mexico — Cotton,  tobacco,  pottery,  leather  goods 
factories;  breweries,  iron  works,  twine,  hammock,  cloth, 
and  other  products  of  the  sisal  plant. 

Nicaragua — Furniture,  boots  and  shoes,  candles, 
cigars,  soap,  and  cigarettes,  are  made  on  a  smaller  or 
larger  scale;  breweries,  sugar  plants,  etc. 

Panama — Hats,  cigars,  rum,  etc. 

Paraguay — Lace  making  by  native  methods,  dis- 
tilleries. 

Peru — Cotton  factories,  silk-culture,  cocaine,  hats, 
some  furniture.  In  the  Peruvian  propaganda  office  in 
Paris  there  are  displayed  150  articles  of  Peruvian  manu- 
facture. 

Salvador — Soap,  candles,  tiles,  furniture,  cigars,  hats, 
fiber,  ropes,  leather  goods,  hammocks,  etc.,  are  made  on 
a  small  scale  by  primitive  methods;  one  brewery. 

Uruguay — Candy  factory,  meat-packing  factories, 
wines,  etc.  Leather  goods. 

Venezuela — Matches,  oil,  and  butter  factory,  cotton 
mills,  paper  factory,  several  chocolate  factories,  meat 
packing  establishment,  etc. 


OPPORTUNITIES  FOR  HOTELS  IN  LATIN- 
AMERICAN  COUNTRIES 

Persons  considering  the  opportunities  for  the  estab- 
lishment of  new  and  modern  hotels  in  Latin-American 
countries  have  a  wide  and  most  inviting  field.  Gen- 
erally speaking,  the  majority  of  hotels  found  throughout 
those  countries  have  not  kept  pace  with  the  progress 
made  in  other  lines  of  business.  The  high  standards  of 
comfort  and  luxury  that  are  offered  by  the  best  hotels 
of  Europe  and  the  United  States  are  not  yet  to  be  en- 
joyed in  any  of  the  Latin- American  cities,  excepting 
Buenos  Aires.  In  other  cities,  like  Havana,  Rio  de 
Janeiro,  Mexico  City,  Sao  Paulo,  Panama,  etc.,  there 
are  a  few  good  hotels,  which  appear  to  be  doing  a  fair 
amount  of  business.  In  Panama  the  comfortable 
hotel  operated  by  the  United  States  Government,  more 
particularly  for  the  use  of  the  Canal  officials,  has  become 
a  popular  hostelry  for  the  traveling  public;  while  the 
hotel  recently  erected  at  Colon  is  fast  becoming  a  Mecca 
for  tourist  and  business  man,  although  it  is  reported 
that  this  house  is  not  yet  on  a  paying  basis.  But  on 
looking  over  the  field  of  Latin  America  this  fact  seems 
to  be  true  that  wherever  fine  hotels  have  made  their 
appearance  they  usually  are  quite  well  patronized  by 
native  as  well  as  foreign  travelers. 

The  Ritz-Carlton  Company  with  its  system  of  hotels 
has  entered  Buenos  Aires,  Rio  de  Janeiro,  and  Sao 
Paulo,  and  the  company  is  said  to  be  contemplating  the 
establishment  of  hotels  in  various  other  South  American 

75 


76         CHANCES   IN   SOUTH   AND    CENTRAL   AMERICA 

cities.  Any  company  proposing  to  erect  and  operate 
hotels  in  such  cities  would,  therefore,  need  a  large  amount 
of  money  to  meet  active  competition. 

In  the  smaller  cities  of  Central  and  South  America 
there  are  many  opportunities  where  modern  hotels 
should  prove  a  boon  to  travelers  as  well  as  profitable 
investments.  Some  of  these  cities  are  Caracas,  Bogota, 
Quito,  Lima,  La  Paz,  Santiago,  Arequipa,  Concepcion, 
Valparaiso,  Asuncion,  Montevideo,  and  many  smaller 
cities  and  towns.  The  large  tourist  travel  to  Panama 
is  making  San  Jose,  Costa  Rica,  and  Caracas,  Venezuela, 
especially  important  cities  needing  better  accommoda- 
tions for  travelers. 

The  present  hotels  at  all  of  these  cities  are  generally 
inferior  to  the  recognized  standard  of  good  hotels,  as 
known  in  this  country.  In  Santiago,  for  illustration, 
the  famous  building  fronting  on  the  Plaza  de  Armas  is 
most  pretentious,  its  rooms  are  large  and  over-furnished; 
delightful  balconies  overlook  active  streets  and  attrac- 
tive foliage.  This  hotel  needs  modern  management; 
meals  are  inferior,  sanitary  arrangements  are  far  from 
good;  the  office  is  in  the  wine  room,  which  is  a  dark, 
dreary  place,  and  frequently  no  one  is  to  be  found  to 
attend  to  business  and  the  departing  guest  is  compelled 
to  search  the  place  to  find  a  porter  or  cashier.  Other 
hotels  in  Santiago  give  better  food  but  their  locations 
are  on  narrow  streets  and  generally  uninviting.  This 
condition  is  typical  of  many  other  Latin-American 
hotels;  often  good  buildings  are  marred  by  lack  of 
modern  conveniences  and  capable  management.  The 
native  travelers  appear  to  accept  such  conditions  as  a 
matter  of  course;  but  the  foreigner,  accustomed  to  the 


OPPORTUNITIES   FOR  HOTELS  77 

clean  and  attractive  city  hotels  found  in  Europe  or  the 
United  States,  leaves  in  disgust  and  carries  with  him  a 
story  of  discomfort  or  even  hardship. 

Cartago  in  Costa  Rica  furnishes  a  splendid  illustration 
of  what  may  be  accomplished  with  a  little  money  and 
progressive  ideas.  A  Frenchman  has  constructed  of 
corrugated  iron  a  one-story  hotel;  land  was  cheap  and 
his  place  occupies  a  large  area;  growing  flowers  are  in 
profusion.  Rooms  are  severely  plain  but  scrupulously 
clean;  meals  are  really  excellent,  and  a  French  chef,  im- 
maculate in  white,  presides  over  the  kitchen.  Well  fur- 
nished lounging  rooms  and  a  pleasant  office  are  provided; 
horse-back  excursions  to  interesting  mountain  sections 
provide  novel  entertainments  in  the  great  outdoors; 
moving  pictures  and  music  in  the  patio  give  the  little 
hotel  a  peculiar  charm;  on  the  whole  the  tourist  is 
captivated  and  "stays  over,"  and  thereby  helps  to 
swell  the  funds  of  the  proprietor.  The  latter  under- 
stands his  business,  and  his  example  is  one  that  might 
be  followed  with  profit  in  scores  of  smaller  cities  and 
towns  all  over  Latin  America. 

In  considering  the  opportunities  for  modern  hotels 
in  Latin  America  one  should  remember  that  the  ideas 
and  tastes  of  the  Latin  and  the  Saxon  widely  differ; 
features  that  please  one  are  greatly  disliked  by  the 
other.  The  new  hotel  entering  any  community  should 
become  popular  with  native  as  well  as  with  foreign 
travelers;  and  in  catering  to  the  likes  and  dislikes  there 
is  much  room  for  study  of  life,  manners,  habits  and 
customs.  Such  facts,  of  course,  will  not  be  overlooked 
by  the  company  proposing  to  enter  the  Latin-American 
field. 


78         CHANCES   IN   SOUTH   AND    CENTRAL  AMERICA 

A  study  of  the  movement  of  commerce  will  throw 
much  light  on  the  possibilities  of  the  hotel  and  its  ulti- 
mate success.  We  know  that  the  eyes  of  the  commercial 
world  are  more  closely  fixed  on  the  Latin-American 
countries  than  ever  before;  a  greater  number  of  travel- 
ers are  visiting  them  annually  than  in  any  period  of  the 
past;  Lathi  America  is  fast  modernizing  in  all  lines,  and 
the  coming  of  the  modern  hotel  is  sure  and  certain. 
A  beginning  has  been  made  in  the  most  eastern  Repub- 
lics by  the  establishments  of  fine  hotels  in  Buenos  Aires, 
Rio  de  Janeiro,  etc.,  and  the  traveling  public  in  the 
western  countries  is  rapidly  expecting  and  demanding 
similar  hostelries. 

The  rates  charged  by  the  Ritz-Carlton  hotels  in 
South  America  are  slightly  higher  than  for  similar 
services  in  their  European  houses.  They  are  operated 
on  both  American  and  European  plans.  Meals  are 
from  $1.50  up;  rooms  from  $6  up;  the  rooms  in  Buenos 
Aires  at  $6  being  a  very  small  one  with  one  window  and 
without  bath.  Better  rooms  with  bath  cost  $8,  and 
with  three  meals  a  day  the  expenses  are  something  like 
$12  per  day.  These  are  ordinary  rates  at  The  Plaza, 
Buenos  Aires,  when  the  house  is  well  filled  with  guests. 

At  many  fine  hotels  along  the  Avenida  de  Mayo 
fairly  good  rooms  may  be  had  for  $2  per  day;  meals  at 
any  of  the  many  cafes  along  this  street  are  from  $1  up. 
At  some  of  these  hotels  a  very  good  dinner  is  served  for 
$1.50,  including  wine.  The  hotels  at  Buenos  Aires  are 
the  best  in  South  America. 

La  Paz,  Bolivia,  is  typical  of  the  hotel  of  the  far 
interior  section  pf  the  continent.  There  is  only  one 
hotel  but  several  houses  where  travelers  are .  enter- 


OPPORTUNITIES   FOR  HOTELS  79 

tained  in  this  city  of  80,000  people  (large  percentage  of 
Indian  population),  and  in  season  it  is  often  difficult  to 
secure  accommodation  at  the  main  hotel;  but  an  annex 
is  used  to  hold  the  overflow.  The  main  building  is  old 
and  not  suited  to  modern  entertainment  of  travelers. 
There  is  no  provision  for  heating  the  hotel,  although  the 
nights  in  some  seasons  are  extremely  cold.  Coal  for 
cooking  is  worth  $35  to  $40  per  ton;  consequently  most 
of  the  heat  for  cooking  is  produced  from  fagots  or 
from  small  pieces  of  brush  or  wood  brought  many 
miles  on  burro  or  llama.  A  small  modern  hotel  operated 
on  up-to-date  plans  might  in  a  short  time  overcome  the 
popularity  of  the  out-of-date  structure.  In  the  future 
electricity,  which  now  lights  the  city,  will  doubtless  be 
used  for  heating  and  cooking  purposes. 


LAW 

Compared  with  the  opportunities  for  those  skilled  in 
the  constructive  professions,  the  young  lawyer  will  have 
fewer  chances  of  success.  The  fact  is  obvious.  In  the 
first  place  the  practice  of  law  implies  speaking  and 
talking  in  every  shade  of  which  a  language  is  suscep- 
tible, and  a  North  American  would  probably  be  years 
in  acquiring  a  proficiency  in  the  foreign  tongue.  Again, 
the  Latin-American  laws  are  derived  from  different 
sources  from  those  of  our  common  and  statute  laws, 
and  the  English-speaking  lawyer  would  be  compelled 
to  begin  again  the  study  of  fundamental  principles  of 
legal  knowledge.  To  be  added  to  this  task  would  be 
the  legal  examination,  which  is  said  to  be  extremely 
difficult  or  even  impossible  for  the  foreigner  to  pass. 
Furthermore,  the  law  often  leads  to  political  position, 
and  the  Latin  would  surely  and  rightly  resent  any 
meddling  with  his  politics.  Politics  should  be  left 
strictly  alone  by  the  stranger;  it  is  in  the  commercial 
and  industrial  development  that  foreign  enterprise  is 
favored. 

Of  course  there  are  great  United  States  corporations 
operating  in  Latin-American  countries  and  these  home 
concerns  require  legal  talent  of  the  highest  order,  and 
I  believe  that  there  are  limited  openings  for  the  lawyer, 
but  he  should  be  associated  as  a  counsellor  rather  than 
a  practitioner  before  Latin-American  tribunals.  A  few 
of  our  attorneys  are  making  a  success  of  their  Latin- 
American  cases,  among  whom  a  former  chief  clerk  of 
the  Department  of  State  at  Washington  is  an  example. 

80 


LAW  81 

A  young  practicing  attorney  recently  asked  me  this 
question:  "What  would  you  advise  me  to  do  in  order 
to  secure  Latin- American  business — to  become  a  special- 
ist in  legal  matters  affecting  our  respective  countries?" 

I  asked  him  what  he  knew  about  these  Republics. 
When  he  acknowledged  that  he  was  unacquainted  with 
their  progress,  language,  customs,  and  had  never  visited 
any  one  of  them  it  was  evident  that  he  needed  a  primary 
course  of  study. 

I  suggested,  first,  that  he  study  the  Spanish  language 
(if  interested  in  Brazil,  the  Portuguese) ;  that  he  inform 
himself  of  the  commercial  and  industrial  progress  of  the 
several  countries,  upon  which  depends  much  legal 
work.  He  should  thoroughly  post  himself  as  to  what 
great  combinations  of  capital  are  doing  in  Latin  America 
and  especially  the  legal  procedure  that  permits  foreign 
capital  to  acquire  holdings  and  operate  industries. 
The  history  of  each  country  should  be  studied,  so  that 
when  he  applies  to  the  head  of  some  great  corporation 
the  latter  will  be  impressed  with  the  applicant's  famil- 
iarity with  things  Latin- American. 

Scores  of  books  on  each  Latin  country  are  to  be  had 
at  all  libraries;  hundreds  of  papers  and  magazines  of 
this  country  are  telling  of  the  progress  of  commerce  and 
industry  toward  the  southward;  and  one  possessing 
the  excellent  training  that  the  American  university 
gives,  as  was  the  case  with  the  gentleman  in  question, 
certainly  has  a  fine  foundation  upon  which  to  build  a 
career.  And  in  my  opinion  there  is  no  better  way  to 
become  the  legal  specialist  for  Latin-American  business 
than  to  thoroughly  inform  one's  self  as  to  what  those 
lands  are  doing  politically,  commercially,  industrially, 


IB        CHAXCRS  IX  SOUTH  AND   CENTRAL  AMEBICA 

legally,  and  educationally.  This  knowledge  is  acquired 
gradually  from  study,  or  better  still,  from  mingling 
with  the  peoples  themsehres.  If  one  cannot  mingle 
with  the  Latins  in  their  own  countries  there  are  many 
in  the  United  Slates  that  promote  this  fellow- 
r,  The  Fan  American  Society  in  New  York; 
The  Spanish-American  Atheneum,  of  Washington;  and 
dubs  in  many  cities  and  in  numerous 
of  teaming.  These  courses  are  open  to  any- 
one  who  chooses  to  enlist  in  the  work.  (Also  see  chapter 
on  Journalism.) 


Quhe  recently  I  had  a  long  interview  with  the  general 
••auger  of  one  of  our  largest  fife  insurance  companies. 
This  concern  employs  thousands  of  men  of  all  ages  and 
its  operations  extend  to  many  lands.  At  present  this 
company  is  endeavoring  to  extend  its  business  to  Latin- 
hut  one  of  the  difficulties,  so  this 
stated,  has  been  the  inability  to  secure  compe- 
agentsv  who  can  talk  insurance  to  the  people  in 
indication  of  the  earnestness 
of  the  official's  statement  is  the  fact  that  his  own  son  is 
studying  the  Spanish  language  with  the  promise  of  a 
high-salaried  position  as  soon  as  he  is  qualified. 

Not  afl  men  could,  of  course,  hope  to  compete  with 
the  son  of  an  official,  whose  pathway  might  be  made 
leas  difficult  by  preferment,  but  the  idea  occurred  to  me 
rtunity  for  some  of  our  insurance 


i  are  already  in 
to  be  development  in 
afl 


LAW 

In  Mezko  City  before  tibe  11 


BANKS 

COMMERCIAL  INTELLIGENCE 

Many  persons  well  informed  on  South  American 
affairs  believe  that  it  is  only  a  question  of  a  few  years, 
or  possibly  sooner,  that  United  States  banks  will  be 
established  in  the  larger  southern  cities.  These  insti- 
tutions are  greatly  needed  for  the  further  development 
of  commercial  relations.  Young  banking  clerks  might 
watch  the  progress  of  the  above  movement  as  it 
foreshadows  a  number  of  banking  positions  for  those 
qualified  to  fill  them. 

The  present  currency  reform  measures  recently 
passed  by  the  United  States  Congress  will  doubtless  open 
the  way  for  branch  banks  in  Latin  America  and  other 
movements  in  which  financial  United  States  is  interested 
and  has  been  investigating  are  likely  to  result  in  better 
banking  facilities  for  our  commerce. 

As  these  lines  are  written  a  report  comes  from  South 
America  relative  to  the  investigations  of  representatives 
of  the  Gould  interests  and  their  possible  entry  into 
South  American  financial  fields. 

In  speaking  of  the  possibility  of  the  establishment  of 
United  States  banks  in  Latin-American  countries,  a 
well-known  New  York  financial  writer,  whose  name 
for  certain  reasons  is  withheld,  has  the  following  to  say  : 

The  Nicaraguan  authorities  and  the  American  bankers  com- 
missioned Charles  A.  Conant  to  undertake  the  work  of  reestab- 
lishing Nicaragua's  currency  system  and  of  laying  the  founda- 
tions for  the  American  bank  which  it  was  agreed  would  be 

84 


BANKS  85 

established  at  the  Nicaraguan  capital.  Mr.  Conant  met  these 
heavy  responsibilities  in  Nicaragua  as  satisfactorily  as  earlier 
he  did  when  he  established  the  present  fiscal  and  currency  sys- 
tem in  the  Philippines.  The  American  bank  in  the  Nicaraguan 
capital  is  now  organized.  It  is  owned  by  American  capital.  It 
will  therefore  pass  into  tradition  as  the  first  of  the  American 
banks  which  are  presumably  hereafter  to  be  established  in  the 
financial  centers  of  the  Latin-American  republics. 

Several  banking  houses  of  this  country  which  possess  large 
resources  and  are  managed  with  business  statesmanship  have 
sent  representatives  to  South  America  within  the  past  ten  or 
twelve  years  for  the  purpose  of  learning  whether  it  is  commer- 
cially practicable  to  establish  American  banking  institutions 
in  the  large  financial  centers  of  South  America.  Some  of  the 
earlier  reports  of  these  representatives  were  not  very  encourag- 
ing. They  were  unable  to  see  where  immediate  or  even  pros- 
pective business  that  would  be  profitable  was  to  be  obtained. 
But  recently  swift  and  very  important  developments  of  inter- 
national commerce  between  the  United  States  and  South 
America  have  been  made.  These  point  to  the  feasibility,  from 
the  commercial  point  of  view,  of  the  early  establishment  of 
American  banks,  that  is  to  say,  banks  owned  and  directed  by 
United  States  capital  in  the  South  American  republics. 
***** 

On  the  west  coast  of  South  America,  like  favorable  oppor- 
tunities for  the  early  establishment  of  American  banks  in  Chile, 
Peru,  and  after  a  time  in  Bolivia  and  possibly  Ecuador,  will  be 
recognized  by  American  capital.  The  very  large  business 
which  the  industries  identified  by  Charles  M.  Schwab's  name 
and  by  the  Guggenheim's  name,  which  these  two  interests  are 
to  carry  on  in  Chile,  will  undoubtedly  furnish  profitable  em- 
ployment for  American  banking  capital  in  Chile.  The  one 
item  of  exchange  will  of  itself  be  one  of  the  chief  considerations 
which  will  lead  American  capital  to  establish  banking  institu- 
tions in  South  America. 

Closely  allied  to  banks  and  banking  are  the  com- 
mercial intelligence  offices,  which  we  find  scattered 


&6         CHANCES  IN   SOUTH  AND   CENTRAL  AMERICA 

around  the  world.  The  great  institution  of  Dun  and 
Company,  of  New  York,  is  typical.  Its  branch  offices 
have  been  opened  in  Mexico  City,  Havana,  Rio  de 
Janeiro,  Buenos  Aires,  etc.,  and  exporters  and  importers 
have  already  found  this  company's  services  invaluable 
in  reporting  on  the  financial  responsibility  of  merchants 
and  business  men  generally.  Gradually  this  line  of 
work  must  extend  to  all  of  the  larger  Latin  cities  and 
doubtless  a  number  of  North  Americans  will  be  needed 
to  carry  on  the  investigations,  etc.  In  talking  with  one 
of  the  managers  of  a  South  American  office  of  the  above 
mentioned  firm  I  was  informed  that  they  have  vacancies 
from  time  to  time  for  young  North  Americans,  and  that 
the  company  has  difficulty  in  securing  competent  assist- 
ants. They  want  young  men  who  will  go  out  and 
remain  in  the  work  in  foreign  lands;  those  who  will 
"grow  up  with  the  business." 


MEDICINE— DENTISTRY— HOSPITALS 
NURSING 

The  wonderful  transformation  of  tropical  lands  and 
the  leading  part  the  medical  profession  is  taking  in 
this  conquest  should  not  be  overlooked  by  young 
physicians  seeking  a  field  for  useful  service. 

Most  of  the  larger  corporations  engaged  in  tropical 
development  have  a  medical  department;  and  a  typical 
illustration  is  found  in  the  United  Fruit  Company,  with 
its  30,000  or  more  employes  scattered  all  over  Central 
America,  the  West  Indies  and  northern  South  America, 
whose  large  corps  of  physicians  according  to  the  com- 
pany's statement,  rendered  medical  and  surgical  aid 
to  77,939  persons  last  year. 

This  is  only  one  case  (see  appendix  for  names  of 
other  companies)  but  when  the  numerous  American 
companies  that  are  engaged  in  tropical  development 
and  their  plans  for  more  active  work  are  considered,  the 
field  for  the  physician  and  the  sanitary  expert  are  seen 
to  be  gradually  extending.  General  Gorgas  and  his 
men  made  the  Panama  Canal  a  possibility;  and  likewise 
in  the  further  development  of  tropical  and  subtropical 
lands  the  first  problem  is  to  make  them  habitable  for 
the  foreigner  and  more  healthful  for  the  native. 

Speaking  of  the  progress  of  sanitation  in  Amazon 
jungles  the  West  Coast  Leader,  of  Lima,  Peru,  grows 
enthusiastic,  basing  its  editorial,  from  which  the 
following  is  an  extract,  on  the  work  of  the  three  North 
Americans  who  went  to  Iquitos  about  a  year  ago  and 

87 


88         CHANCES   IN   SOUTH   AND   CENTRAL  AMERICA 

who    have    already    accomplished   marvels.     Here   is 
what  this  paper  says: 

THE   WINNING   OF   A   CONTINENT 

The  conversion  of  Iquitos,  in  the  heart  of  the  miasmic  and 
fever-breeding  swamps  of  the  Amazon  Basin,  into  a  healthy 
trading  station,  is  one  of  the  most  interesting  problems  which  the 
modern  scienceof  sanitation  has  been  called  upon  to  encounter 
in  the  past  decade.  If  the  battle  is  successful  it  means  the 
opening  up  to  colonization  and  civilization  of  one  of  the  great- 
est virgin  areas  existing  in  the  world  today.  Dr.  Converse  has 
driven  the  first  stakes,  thrown  up  the  first  barricades  and  es- 
tablished the  temporary  fortifications  for  a  white  man's  strong- 
hold in  the  jungle-clad  lowlands  of  the  great  river  region.  The 
"sappers"  were  close  on  his  heels.  They  have  drawn  up  the 
plans  and  laid  the  foundations  for  the  "permanent  fortifica- 
tions"— fortifications  of  two-metre  drain  pipes,  clean  water 
supply  and  sanitary  camps  and  highways — which  have  been  the 
deciding  factors  on  more  battlefields  during  the  last  generation 
than  a  double  preponderance  of  Krupp  and  Creusot  guns. 
And  the  urgent  question  of  the  Peruvian  Orient  today  is 
whether  these  plans  will  be  carried  to  their  logical  conclusion 
or  whether  the  skeleton  legions  of  the  "yellow  jack,"  the 
beri-beri,  and  the  plague,  will  be  allowed  to  encroach  again 
upon  the  hard  won  territory,  and  ring  the  death  knell  of  prog- 
ress in  the  lands  beyond  the  Eastern  Cordillera  for  another 

thirty  years. 

*»'.*•* 

The  future  of  the  Amazon  valley  lies  beyond  the  dull  pro- 
phecies of  Mincing  Lane,  for  as  long  as  mankind  breeds  on  the 
face  of  the  earth  he  will  keep  pushing  the  "last  frontier" 
chuck  up  against  the  mountain  peaks  or  into  the  depths  of  the 
sea. 

In  most  Latin- American  countries  the  medical  exami- 
nation required  of  young  physicians  seeking  a  license 
to  practice  is  too  difficult  for  the  foreigner  to  stand,  as  it 
is  conducted  in  the  Spanish  language. 


MEDICINE,    DENTISTRY,    ETC.  89 

In  some  of  the  countries,  Colombia  for  instance,  the 
bars  have  been  removed  and  an  experienced  graduate  of 
an  institution  of  recognized  medical  standing  may 
practice  medicine  without  an  examination. 

Relative  to  the  practice  of  medicine  in  the  various 
Latin- American  countries,  the  Pan  American  Union  has 
supplied  the  following  data,  which  may  be  taken  as 
fairly  typical  of  the  requirements  of  the  several  repub- 
lics. 

OPPORTUNITIES   FOR  AMERICAN   PHYSICIANS 

The  majority  of  the  larger  cities  of  Latin  America 
are  well  supplied  with  physicians,  numerous  native  as 
well  as  European  and  American  physicians  being 
located  at  Buenos  Aires,  Rio  de  Janeiro,  Santiago,  Lima, 
Mexico  City,  Havana,  etc.,  while  in  the  smaller  cities 
the  physicians  with  a  diploma  from  one  of  the  univer- 
sities of  their  own  country  are  well  favored. 

It  is  not  likely,  therefore,  that  an  American  physician 
could  successfully  establish  himself  in  any  of  the  cities 
of  Latin  America,  although  this  depends,  of  course,  on 
the  skill  and  ability  of  the  individual,  even  as  it  would 
in  the  various  sections  of  the  United  States. 

Some  of  the  large  mining  or  construction  companies 
occasionally  require  the  services  of  a  physician  for  a 
few  months  or  sometimes  for  a  few  years,  and  in  that 
case,  they  generally  advertise  in  one  of  the  numerous 
Latin- American  trade  papers,  such  as  the  American 
Exporter,  Foreign  Trade,  La  Hacienda,  etc.,  and  it  may 
be  well  to  subscribe  to  some  of  these. 

In  order  to  practice  in  any  one  of  the  twenty  Latin 
American  Republics  it  is  necessary  to  have  the  diploma 


90        CHANCES   IN   SOUTH  AND   CENTRAL  AMERICA 

of  the  foreign  university  revalidated  and  in  addition 
thereto  an  examination  must  be  taken,  in  most  of  the 
republics.  The  conditions  vary  of  course,  in  each 
country. 

THE   PRACTICE   OF   MEDICINE   IN   VENEZUELA 

Because  of  the  fact  that  there  is  an  impression  among  the 
members  of  the  medical  profession  in  the  United  States  that 
foreign  physicians  are  not  alowed  to  practice  in  Venezuela, 
somewhat  due  perhaps  to  publications  to  that  effect  in  Ameri- 
can medical  journals,  the  Government  of  Venezuela  has  re- 
cently complied  with  the  request  of  this  legation  to  grant  full 
legal  authority  to  American  citizens  to  engage  in  the  practice 
of  medicine. 

After  having  come  to  Venezuela  eight  months  ago  to  practice 
his  profession,  and  being  refused  a  license  repeatedly  because 
the  Venezuelan  laws  prescribe  that  license  can  be  issued  only 
after  examination  by  a  commission  composed  of  members  of  the 
faculty  of  the  National  University,  which  institution  has  been 
closed  for  nearly  two  years,  a  citizen  of  Mississippi  called  at 
the  legation  and  stated  that  he  had  not  been  able  to  secure 
permission  to  practice.  His  diplomas  from  Tulane  University, 
New  Orleans,  and  certificates  from  the  State  Boards  of  Health 
of  Louisiana  and  Mississippi  were  examined  and  this  legation 
wrote  a  note  to  the  Foreign  Office  asking  that  temporary 
authority  be. granted.  The  request  was  promptly  complied 
with,  his  license  being  issued  jointly  by  the  Minister  of  Public 
Instruction  and  the  Minister  of  the  Interior,  which  afforded 
ample  protection. 

Since  this  permission  was  secured,  it  is  learned  that  two 
other  American  physicians,  who  waited  even  longer  for  licenses, 
finally  left,  it  never  occurring  to  them  to  seek  the  aid  of  the 
legation  for  what  they  desired.  No  recommendation  is  made 
that  there  are  opportunities  here  for  American  physicians,  but 
it  is  desired  to  correct  the  false  impression  that  they  are  dis- 
criminated against  by  the  Government  of  Venezuela. — Ameri- 
can Minister  Preston  McGoodwin,  Caracas. 


MEDICINE,    DENTISTRY,    ETC.  91 

THE   PRACTICE   OF   MEDICINE   IN   BRAZIL 

Art.  37.  Foreign  physicians  who  wish  to  obtain  a  certificate 
in  medical  and  surgical  science  must  present  to  the  Board  of  the 
Medical  School  a  certificate  or  diploma,  together  with  the  re- 
ceipt of  the  payment  of  the  special  examination  tax. 

Art.  38.  Foreign  physicians  must  take  the  examinations 
required  for  the  entire  course  in  medicine  and  surgery  in  the 
national  schools  of  medicine,  that  is,  the  entrance,  intermediate 
and  final  examinations. 

Art.  39.  Interpreters  will  not  be  admitted  to  any  of  these 
examinations,  and  both  the  examiners  and  the  examined  are 
forbidden  to  use  any  other  language  than  the  Portuguese. 

RULES   GOVERNING   THE   PRACTICE   OF   MEDICAL 
PROFESSIONS   IN   ARGENTINA 

Graduates  of  American  medical  and  dental  colleges 
with  the  proper  degree  who  wish  to  enter  the  Argentine 
medical  or  dental  faculty  to  practice  their  professions 
in  that  country  must  present  the  following  documents: 

The  Diploma  of  the  college  in  which  the  student 
graduated.  The  signatures  of  the  rector  and  secretary 
on  the  diploma  must  be  authenticated  by  the  Secretary 
of  State,  ratified  by  an  Argentine  consular  officer  there 
resident,  and  his  signature  in  turn  certified  by  the  Argen- 
tine minister  of  foreign  affairs.  As  a  matter  of  con- 
venience, the  signatures  on  the  diploma  might  be 
authenticated  by  a  local  State  officer  before  being  sent 
to  the  Secretary  of  State  at  Washington. 

The  diploma  is  then  to  be  presented  at  the  office  of 
the  secretary  of  the  faculty,  accompanied  by  a  transla- 
tion of  the  same  in  Spanish,  made  by  a  public  translator 
on  stamped  paper.  The  public  translator  must  also 
call  at  the  office  of  the  secretary  and  sign  a  document 


92         CHANCES   IN   SOUTH  AND   CENTRAL  AMERICA 

acknowledging  and  confirming  the  genuineness  of  his 
signature. 

When  the  diploma  has  been  accepted  by  the  faculty 
a  day  will  be  fixed  on  which  the  candidate  shall  appear 
at  the  Secretary 's  office,  accompanied  by  two  witnesses, 
who  must  not  be  relatives  or  minors,  who  shall  declare 
in  writing  that  the  candidate  is  the  real  and  lawful 
owner  of  the  diploma  presented.  In  addition  to  this, 
the  candidate  must  present  a  petition,  written  on 
stamped  paper  of  the  value  of  $1.00  asking  to  be  in- 
scribed in  the  faculty  and  to  be  allowed  to  take  the 
examinations  necessary  for  the  "revalidation"  of  his 
diploma. 

The  examinations  made  by  the  faculty  are  in  the 
Spanish  language,  and  embrace  the  same  groups  of 
subjects  and  are  conducted  in  the  same  order  and  form 
as  prescribed  for  the  alumni  of  the  local  school.  Pro- 
visions are  made  for  reexaminations  in  case  of  failures 
in  the  first  instance. 

The  fees  for  "revalidation"  are:  Medical  diploma, 
$382.14,  United  States  money;  dental  diploma,  $148.61. 

Relative  to  foreign  physicians  practicing  their  pro- 
fession in  Peru,  the  American  consul  general  at  Callao, 
W.  Henry  Robertson,  makes  the  following  report: 

The  Peruvian  regulations  require  that  physicians  who  are 
graduates  of  foreign  universities,  and  who  desire  to  practice 
their  profession  in  Peru,  shall  present  themselves  before  the 
Faculty  of  Medicine  of  the  University  of  Lima  (Facultad  de 
Medicina  de  la  Universidad  de  Lima),  bringing  with  them  the 
diploma  of  the  university  from  which  they  have  graduated, 
with  the  signatures  properly  legalized  by  the  Peruvian  ministry 
of  foreign  affairs,  and  a  certificate  of  personal  identity  issued  by 
the  minister  or  consul  01  the  nation  of  the  applicant  resident 


MEDICINE,    DENTISTRY,    ETC.  93 

in  Lima.     In  the  absence  of  these  officially  there  must  be  pro- 
duced a  legal  identification  by  witnesses. 

The  fees,  which  are  to  be  paid  before  taking  the  examinations, 
amount  to  $493  American  currency,  which  is  the  equivalent  of 
the  dues  incurred  by  an  alumnus  receiving  his  medical  instruc- 
tion in  the  University  of  Lima.  The  examinations  are  five  in 
number,  and  are  taken  in  the  following  order: 

(1)  Theoretical-practical.    The  theoretical  comprises   de- 
scriptive,  general,   normal,   and  pathological  anatomy,   and 
general   and   human   physiology.     The   practical   consists   in 
actual  dissection  of  the  cadaver,  together  with  a  proper  descrip- 
tion of  such  dissection. 

(2)  Theoretical-practical.     The  theoretical  comprises  gen- 
eral pathology,  and  internal  and  external  nosography,  while 
the  practical  consists  in  the  performance  of  one  or  two  surgical 
operations  upon  the  cadaver. 

(3)  Theoretical,  which  comprises  medical  natural  history, 
medical  chemistry,  and  medical  physics. 

(4)  Theoretical,  which  embraces  therapeutics  and  materia 
medica,  medical  jurisprudence  and  toxicology,  and  hygiene. 

(5)  Practical,  which  comprises  the  clinical  examination  of  a 
patient,  another  of  surgery,  and  another  of  obstetrics;  also, 
diagnosis,  treatment,  and  clinical  histories. 

The  requirements  which  graduate  dentists  of  foreign  uni- 
versities have  to  meet  in  order  to  practice  their  profession  in 
Peru,  are  the  following :  They  must  pay  the  fees  of  matricula- 
tion, which  amount  to  $244,  and  to  stand  two  examinations  in 
this  order: 

(1)  Theoretical,  which  comprises  anatomy  and  physiology 
of  the  mouth. 

(2)  Theoretical-practical,  which  comprises  pathology  of  the 
mouth  and  the  performance  of  one  operation  in  dental  surgery. 

The  requirements  for  surgeon  dentists  who  desire  taking  the 
examinations  above  referred  to  are  the  same  as  those  exacted  of 
physicians  and  surgeons. 

Persons  in  the  United  States  contemplating  practicing  these 
professions  in  Peru  and  desiring  more  detailed  information 
than  is  here  presented,  or  printed  copies  of  the  exact  laws,  regu- 


94         CHANCES   IN   SOUTH   AND   CENTRAL   AMERICA 

lations,  etc.,  governing  such  matters,  should  invariably  address 
themselves  to  the  Dean  of  the  Faculty  of  Medicine  of  the  Uni- 
versity of  Lima  (El  Decano  de  la  Facultad  de  Medicina  de  la 
Universidad  de  Lima),  Dr.  Ernesto  Odriozola,  Lima,  Peru,  and 
not  the  consulate  general. 

According  to  the  Pan-American  Union,  which  is 
authoritative,  there  is  no  reciprocal  arrangement  in 
force  between  any  of  the  Latin-American  republics 
and  the  state  medical  boards  of  the  United  States 
whereby  graduates  of  one  country  may  be  admitted  to 
practice  in  the  other  without  examination.  The 
republics  of  Central  America  have  such  an  arrange- 
ment between  themselves  where  the  diplomas  of  the 
medical  colleges  of  one  country  are  recognized  in  the 
others. 

Anuario  del  Comer  do  or  Directory  of  Costa  Rica, 
gives  the  number  of  practicing  physicians  in  that 
country  as  81;  of  Guatemala,  78;  of  Colombia,  382;  of 
Nicaragua,  78;  Panama,  40;  Dominican  Republic,  54; 
Venezuela,  379.  As  the  data  for  this  directory  was 
probably  collected  a  year  or  more  ago  it  may  be  pre- 
sumed that  in  each  case  the  number  of  physicians  has 
slightly  increased. 

Another  field  not  yet  overcrowded  and  one  which  the 
medical  graduate  might  consider,  is  that  of  salesmanship. 
Medical  appliances  of  every  description  are  becoming 
more  and  more  important,  and  very  frequently  the 
ordinary  salesman  finds  himself  handicapped  in  exploit- 
ing a  given  invention  or  machine.  Here  the  man  with 
medical  training,  combined  with  the  salesman  ;s  instinct, 
has  a  growing  field. 

Dr.  Robert  E.  Swigart,  chief  of  the  Medical  Depart- 


MEDICINE,    DENTISTRY,    ETC.  95 

ment  of  the  United  Fruit  Company,  who  recently 
returned  from  a  four  months '  tour  of  inspection  of  the 
company's  hospitals,  made  the  following  statement: 

The  building  of  railways  and  other  commercial  enterprises 
are  no  less  active  than  measures  to  protect  the  country  against 
the  invasion  of  quarantinable  disease. 

Towns  are  being  laid  out  with  special  reference  to  an  ade- 
quate water  supply  and  sewerage  system  and  streets  detailed 
with  particular  attention  to  sanitary  requirements. 

Two  large  hospitals  at  Tela,  Spanish  Honduras,  and  Santa 
Marta,  Colombia,  will  be  opened  to  patients  this  month  and 
another  at  Trujillo,  Spanish  Honduras,  is  well  under  way. 

These  new  buildings  will  complete  an  almost  continuous 
chain  of  United  Fruit  Company  hospitals  between  Belize, 
British  Honduras,  on  the  north  side,  and  Santa  Marta,  Colom- 
bia, on  the  south;  and  with  the  completion  of  the  rat-proof 
piers  at  Tela  and  Trujillo,  coupled  with  protective  measures  in 
the  older  divisions,  we  are  confident  that  no  country  will  be 
more  sanitary  or  more  healthful  than  the  West  Indies  and 
Central  America. 

DENTISTRY 

American  dentistry  is  popular  all  over  the  world,  and 
perhaps  nowhere  more  so  than  in  Latin  America. 
Many  young  men  from  the  latter  countries  have  taken 
courses  in  the  United  States  or  Europe  and  are  now 
successfully  practicing  in  their  home  country.  In 
Guayquil  the  writer  made  the  acquaintance  of  a  dentist, 
who  not  only  took  a  college  course  in  the  United  States 
but  every  piece  of  office  furniture  as  well  as  all  of  his 
instruments  were  of  United  States  manufacture,  and  it 
it  needless  to  say,  he  had  built  up  a  good  practice. 

Young  North  American  dentists  who  are  not  satisfied 
with  their  present  outlook  might  investigate  the  South 
American  field,  where  there  are  many  shining  examples 


96         CHANCES   IN   SOUTH   AND    CENTRAL   AMERICA 

of  successful  men  who  have  gone  from  the  United 
States. 

One  of  the  most  notable  careers  is  that  of  a  North 
American  who  has  amassed  an  enormous  fortune  in 
Argentina,  which  was  made  possible  jointly  by  his 
professional  income  and  by  judicious  investments  in 
real  estate.  This  dentist  today  employs  a  number  of 
his  countrymen  and  his  several  offices  and  professional 
work-shops  in  Buenos  Aires  present  scenes  of  successful 
work. 

Several  years  ago  before  Mexico  became  involved 
in  revolution,  I  knew  two  dentists  from  the  United 
States  who  were  very  successful  in  their  practice  in 
Mexico  City.  In  most  Latin-American  cities  it  is  a 
profession  that  is  not  yet  overcrowded,  and  if  one  can 
pass  the  required  examinations,  the  field  is  large  in  a 
number  of  the  Southern  Republics. 

Closely  associated  with  the  opportunities  for  experts 
in  tropical  diseases  and  sanitation  are  the  openings  for 
the  trained  nurse.  All  of  the  larger  fruit  companies 
with  their  ships  and  railroads  have  need  from  time  to 
time  for  nurses;  and  to  get  into  touch  with  the  appoint- 
ing power  is  a  simple  matter. 

Two  miles  from  Bocas  del  Toro  in  the  heart  of  a 
Panama  jungle  stands  a  fine  new  hospital.  It  is  sur- 
rounded by  towering  palms  and  other  beautiful  growths 
of  the  tropics;  and  although  far  from  the  maddening 
throngs,  its  wards  are  modern  and  the  staff  of  physicians 
and  nurses  are  performing  a  noble  service  for  the  benefit 
of  humanity,  as  well  as  making  a  living  themselves  and 
acquiring  experience  that  can  be  made  profitable  in 
many  other  lands. 


MEDICINE,    DENTISTRY,    ETC.  97 

Similar  enterprise  is  to  be  seen  near  Santa  Marta  in 
Colombia;  at  Limon  in  Costa  Rica;  a  few  miles  from 
Barrios  in  Guatemala;  in  Cuba,  in  Jamaica,  in  Vene- 
zuela, in  Panama,  and  in  many  other  sections  of  the 
tropics.  These  opportunities  are  gradually  extending 
the  professional  nursing  field,  and  while  the  locations 
of  some  of  the  hospitals  are  isolated,  there  are  certain 
compensations,  and  then,  too,  the  companies  operating 
the  parent  industries  have  rules  for  transferring  their 
employees.  If  one's  station  is  not  quite  satisfactory 
a  transfer  may  be  expected  in  a  reasonable  length  of 
time. 

Many  of  the  noble  young  women  who  went  "to  the 
front"  when  the  Panama  Canal  was  in  its  early  stages, 
performed  heroic  services  by  facing  dangers  and  diseases 
innumerable.  They  might  be  termed  the  advance 
guard  of  nurses,  and  other  heroines  will  be  needed  as 
the  conquest  of  the  tropics  expands  and  enlarges  the 
field. 


MISCELLANEOUS  OPPORTUNITIES 

The  great  fruit,  steamship  and  railway  enterprises, 
like  the  United  Fruit  Company,  which  employs  more 
than  30,000  men;  the  Atlantic  Fruit  Company,  the 
Hubbard-Zemurray  Company,  of  Mobile;  the  firm  of 
Vaccaro  Brothers,  of  New  Orleans,  and  other  companies 
are  rapidly  developing  vast  sections  of  Central  America, 
northern  South  America,  and  various  islands  of  the 
Caribbean.  These  are  gigantic  enterprises,  and  include 
the  operation  of  steamships,  railways,  stores,  hospitals, 
and  in  fact  enter  into  so  many  phases  of  constructive 
and  development  work  that  they  offer  opportunities 
for  skilled  workers  in  almost  every  business  and  pro- 
fessional line.  To  navigate  their  ships  they  require 
officers  and  sailors;  to  build  their  railways  they  need 
men  of  various  engineering  sciences;  the  operation  of 
their  trams  demand  railroad  men  of  all  grades;  to  keep 
their  stores  many  managers  and  clerks  must  be  em- 
ployed; hospitals  need  physicians  and  nurses;  so  as 
these  companies  grow,  as  is  natural  to  suppose  and 
judging  by  past  records,  there  gradually  unfolds  a 
vast  field  of  labor  for  all  classes  of  workers. 

In  the  real  estate  business  the  city  of  Havana  fur- 
nishes an  example  of  what  may  be  accomplished  by 
modern  advertising,  a  little  capital,  combined  with 
business  foresight.  What  young  men  did  at  the  Cuban 
metropolis  might  be  duplicated  in  other  Caribbean 
cities,  which  are  now  being  brought  to  the  attention  of 
the  world  by  the  Panama  Canal  route. 


MISCELLANEOUS   OPPORTUNITIES  99 

Speaking  on  this  subject  a  recent  issue  of  the  Progres- 
sive Cuba  Magazine  contained  the  following : 

The  outlying  lands  along  the  suburban  boundaries  of  the 
city  were  all  undeveloped  owing  to  the  lack  of  transportation 
and  the  nonexistence  of  streets  or  sidewalks,  lights,  or  water. 
The  growth  was  further  restricted  by  the  fact  that  the  sale  of 
property  on  the  easy-payment  plan  was  at  that  time  unknown, 
the  custom  being  to  buy  and  sell  for  cash.  This  being  the  case, 
a  man  with  limited  means  could  not  acquire  property  except 
after  a  long  period  of  patient  accumulation. 

Following  the  American  intervention,  a  first  new  subdivision 
was  opened,  the  proposition  being  considered  a  rather  dubious 
experiment.  The  farm,  of  which  this  subdivision  was  com- 
posed, cost  the  buyers  $16,000.  It  was  later  sold  out  in  lots  tor 
$350,000. 

The  next  subdivision  opened  was  a  farm  which  was  first  sold 
for  $6000  and  resold  for  $12,000.  The  ground  was  platted  and 
again  sold  for  $130,000,  and  the  lots  of  which  it  was  first  com- 
posed are  now  valued  at  $600,000. 

It  has  been  claimed  that  with  each  opening  up  of  a  new  sub- 
division the  limit  of  buying  capacity  had  been  reached.  This 
is  an  error.  Never  in  the  history  of  Habana  have  there  been 
such  opportunities  for  legitimate  investment  as  at  the  present 
time. 

During  the  past  month  of  April,  a  new  subdivision,  the  most 
distant  from  the  center  of  Habana  of  any  yet  opened,  was  put 
on  the  market  Monday,  April  14.  For  the  week  ending  April  19 
sales  totaled  more  than  $100,000,  and  at  the  present  writing 
practically  85  per  cent  of  the  subdivision  has  been  sold. 

In  Panama  a  development  company  composed  of 
English  and  local  capitalists,  has  acquired  lands  in 
suburban  sections  of  Panama  City  and  is  sub-dividing 
the  same  into  building  lots;  modern  sewerage  is  being 
installed  and,  it  is  stated,  the  company  will  erect  a 
number  of  houses  to  be  sold  on  the  installment  plan. 


100      CHANCES   IN   SOUTH   AND   CENTRAL   AMERICA 

This  is  a  venture  that  will  doubtless  meet  with  success 
if  properly  managed,  as  the  growth  and  improvement  of 
Panama 's  capital  city  is  destined  to  become  very  active 
within  the  next  few  years. 

The  London  Daily  Chronicle,  hi  speaking  about  small 
hoi  dings  in  Argentina,  makes  some  well  founded  observa- 
tions which  are  not  only  applicable  to  that  country  but 
also  to  various  other  Latin  republics.  The  following 
is  an  extract: 

What  Argentina  needs  is  colonization  in  the  sense  in  which 
it  is  known  in  the  United  States  of  America  and  Canada,  where 
an  individual  takes  up  land  with  the  intention  of  settling  per- 
manently upon  it,  bringing  up  his  children  on  it,  and  taking  a 
personal  pride  in  improving  it  to  its  utmost  productive  capacity, 
gradually  acquiring  the  comforts  and  conveniences  which  go 
to  make  up  a  home.  There  is  no  reason  whatever  why  similar 
homes  (or  homesteads,  to  use  the  Canadian  term)  should  not  be 
established  in  Argentina  by  European  settlers. 

The  existing  exceptions  which  prove  the  rule  amply  confirm 
this. 

Hitherto  the  wonderful  fertility  of  the  Argentine  soil  and 
the  comparatively  primitive  methods  which  have  sufficed  to 
extract  its  produce  have  not  been  in  favour  of  intensive  culti- 
vation. Agriculture  has  been  with  most  owners  or  tenants  in 
Argentina  a  more  or  less  transitory  commercial  venture  rather 
than  the  congenial  career  of  a  life-time.  The  result  has  been 
that  the  largest  possible  areas  have  been  secured  and  worked 
in  a  comparatively  rudimentary  manner,  the  tenant  or  owner 
trusting  to  the  known  average  yield  or  to  Providence  for  a  suc- 
cessful issue. 

In  most  all  Latin- American  countries  there  is  a  grow- 
ing demand  for  novelties,  specialties,  electrical  devices, 
patented  articles,  etc.,  etc.,  and  the  international  parcel 
post  system  is  bringing  the  dealer  into  close  touch  with 


MISCELLANEOUS   OPPORTUNITIES  101 

the  purchaser.  For  instance,  we  see  that  in  the  past 
four  years  the  parcel  post  imports  into  Chile  have  almost 
doubled;  and  according  to  the  American  consul  in 
Valparaiso,  the  present  year  promises  to  be  a  record- 
breaker  in  the  number  of  packages  received  in  that 
country.  For  the  first  eight  months  of  1913  there  were 
33,350  packages  received,  against  29,200  for  the  entire 
year  of  1912. 

Writing  on  the  subject  Consul  Winslow  at  Valparaiso 
has,  among  other  things,  the  following  to  say: 

The  international  parcel  post  business  is  by  far  the  cheapest 
and  quickest  means  of  importing  small  articles  since  no  charges 
are  made  other  than  duty  and  the  goods  are  delivered  on  three 
days'  notice  while  through  the  custom  house  it  usually  takes 
three  or  four  weeks.  The  postal  authorities  are  doing  their 
best  to  take  care  of  the  rapidly  increasing  business,  which  is 
badly  congested  in  Valparaiso  at  present. 

It  does  not  seem  that  American  interests  are  getting  a  fair 
proportion  of  this  business,  which  is  largely  due  to  the  fact  that 
the  present  parcel  post  convention  between  the  United  States 
and  Chile  does  not  provide  for  the  C.  O.  D.  feature  which 
allows  the  purchaser  to  examine  the  goods  before  paying  for 
them,  as  is  the  case  between  Chile  and  Austria-Hungary,  Bel- 
gium, France,  Germany,  Italy,  and  Switzerland.  Many  houses 
in  these  countries  require  payments  with  the  order,  equal  in 
some  cases  to  25  per  cent,  to  cover  return  charges  and  damages 
in  case  goods  are  not  taken  on  arrival.  This  plan  has  reduced 
the  returned  packages  to  3  per  cent,  against  20  per  cent  when  no 
advance  payment  was  required  with  the  order. 

What  is  true  in  Chile  is  largely  the  case  in  other 
countries,  and  the  great  houses,  like  Montgomery, 
Ward  &  Co.,  of  Chicago,  which  are  advertising  exten- 
sively in  Latin  America,  are  reaping  rewards  from  their 
mail  order  business.  This  is  a  line  of  business  which 


102      CHANCES   IN   SOUTH   AND   CENTRAL   AMERICA 

might  be  profitably  taken  up  by  smaller  houses  or  even 
by  individuals. 

Again,  oil-burning  ships  are  fast  coming  into  general 
use,  and  many  shipping  experts  believe  that  oil  as  a 
motive  power  will  eventually  replace  coal,  just  as  the 
steamship  has  superseded  the  sailing  vessel.  In  this 
connection  statistics  show  that  Peru  is  fast  overtaking 
Japan  as  the  eighth  oil-producing  country  of  the  world, 
and  the  Standard  Oil  Company,  with  its  army  of  em- 
ployees, has  recently  entered  this  republic.  An  oil 
well  in  Comodoro  Rivadavia,  Argentina,  is  reported 
to  be  producing  1,000  barrels  of  oil  a  day;  Chile,  Brazil, 
and  Bolivia  are  making  a  showing;  Mexico  produced 
last  year  millions  of  barrels;  while  in  Venezuela  a  score 
of  experts  from  the  United  States  are  systematically 
searching  that  country  for  oil;  so  with  the  increasing 
demand  the  oil  business  and  its  development  may  reach 
enormous  proportions  and  thereby  create  many  fine 
positions  for  geologists,  chemists,  engineers,  superin- 
tendents, managers,  etc. 

What  is  true  of  oil  discoveries  is  equally  true  as  re- 
gards coal;  large  areas  having  been  found  in  Colombia, 
Venezuela,  etc.,  as  well  as  the  great  mines  of  southern 
Chile  which  have  long  been  profitably  exploited.  A 
number  of  young  American  engineers  and  scientists 
have  recently  been  engaged  in  prospecting  for  coal  in 
other  Latin-American  countries.  Another  scientist 
from  the  United  States  has  been  sent  from  Panama  to 
Patagonia  to  study  the  common  potato,  and  his  report 
indicates  a  wonderful  possibility  awaiting  the  develop- 
ment of  this  important  human  food. 


MISCELLANEOUS  OPPORTUNITIES  103 

CLERICAL   POSITIONS 

Generally  speaking,  clerical  positions  all  over  South 
America  are  filled  by  natives  and  Europeans.  Young 
men  from  the  latter  countries  follow  commercial  and 
industrial  undertakings  and  usually  work  for  much  less 
than  a  man  from  the  United  States  would  be  willing  to 
accept.  Native  young  men  of  the  different  countries, 
many  of  whom  are  educated  in  the  United  States  and  in 
Europe,  not  only  accept  smaller  salaries  but  live  more 
cheaply  than  men  from  the  United  States.  All  over 
South  America  living  conditions  are  considerably  higher 
than  in  this  country. 

Another  reason  why  our  young  men  cannot  compete 
with  those  above  mentioned,  is  the  fact  that  they  cannot 
speak  Spanish  or  Portuguese.  The  former  is  the  lan- 
guage used  all  over  Latin  America,  excepting  Brazil 
which  uses  the  latter  tongue.  Naturally,  a  young  man 
seeking  any  kind  of  a  position  would  be  compelled  to 
know  the  language  of  the  country,  otherwise  he  would 
be  almost  useless. 

OPPORTUNITIES   FOR  AMERICAN  RAILWAY  EMPLOYEES 

Young  men  employed  as  railway  telegraphers  and 
railway  conductors  in  the  United  States  are  particularly 
handicapped  in  attempting  to  find  similar  employment 
in  the  Latin-American  countries,  for  the  reason  that 
railways  in  these  countries  are  generally  operated  by 
the  use  of  the  language  of  the  country.  Another  sub- 
ject to  consider  is  the  fact  that  European  capital 
has  built  the  greater  majority  of  Latin-American 
railways,  and  it  naturally  follows  that  these  com- 


104      CHANCES  IN   SOUTH  AND   CENTRAL  AMEBICA 

panics  employ  men  of  their  own  nationality.  There 
are  a  number  of  exceptions,  however,  as  for  in- 
stance, the  Peruvian  Corporation,  an  English  concern 
operating  most  of  the  railways  of  Peru,  employs  a 
number  of  men  from  the  United  States,  but  probably 
without  exception  all  of  them  speak  the  Spanish  lan- 
guage in  the  daily  exercise  of  their  duties.  The  Guaya- 
quil and  Quito  Railway,  built  with  United  States 
capital,  employs  most  of  its  conductors  and  locomotive 
engineers  from  the  United  States,  but  as  the  road  is 
operated  in  a  Spanish-speaking  country,  it  is  imperative 
that  these  employees  know  how  to  talk  with  the  people 
whom  they  serve.  Salaries  of  telegraphers  and  con- 
ductors are  generally  lower  in  the  Latin  countries  than 
in  the  United  States. 

SALARIES  AND   LIVING   EXPENSES  IN  RIO   DE  JANEIRO 

From  a  financial  point  of  view  the  North  American 
would  not  improve  his  position  by  entering  the  employ 
of  native  or  European  commercial  houses  in  Latin 
America.  Even  if  he  should  possess  the  linguistic 
ability  as  well  as  ample  commercial  experience,  the 
clerk,  stenographer,  or  general  office  man  can  command 
a  better  salary  in  the  United  States.  Should  he  secure 
a  position  with  one  of  the  great  American  corporations 
operating  in  Latin  America,  and  know  beforehand  the 
amount  of  salary  he  is  to  receive,  the  case  is  altered  and 
his  chances  enhanced. 

Below  are  appended  the  amounts  of  some  of  the 
salaries  prevailing  in  Rio  de  Janeiro,  which  may  be 
taken  as  typical  of  other  Latin- American  cities.  Sal- 


MISCELLANEOUS   OPPORTUNITIES  105 

aries  of  course  vary  in  the  different  countries  as  well  as 
in  large  cities  and  small  towns. 

The  Brazilian  Milreis  is  worth  about  33£  cents  in 
United  States  money. 

milreis 

Monthly  salary  of  junior  clerk 100  to  200 

Monthly  salary  bookkeeper  or  cashier 200  to  600 

Monthly  salary  electrician 200  to  250 

Monthly  salary  chauffer 200  to  250 

The  daily  wage  of  workmen  range  about  as  follows : 

milreis 

Baker 8 

Brickmaker 8 

Shoemaker 8 

Painter 6  to  15 

Tram  conductor 6  to  8 

Gardener 3  to  5 

Engine  driver 7  to  10 

Tailor 4  to   5 

Printer 3  to  10 

Linotype  operator 15 

Mason 6  to  10 

Carpenter 5  to  8 

Cost  of  living: 

3d  Class  hotel 5  to  6  milreis  daily 

2d  Class  hotel 6  to  8  milreis  daily 

1st  Class  hotel 9  to  16  milreis  daily 

Boarding  house,  with  room. .  100  to  300  milreis  monthly 
Boarding  house,  meals  only.  50  to  100  milreis  monthly 

EMPLOYMENT  AGREEMENT — SAMPLE  FORM 

Although  it  is  unusual  for  companies  to  have  the 
identical  form  of  agreement  in  connection  with  the 


106      CHANCES   IN   SOUTH   AND   CENTRAL  AMERICA 

employment  of  scientific  or  other  assistants,  it  seems 
appropriate  to  give  a  sample  form  of  one  in  common  use 
by  a  well  known  company  of  the  United  States,  which 
employs  many  North  Americans  in  pursuing  its  opera- 
tions in  South  America.  Below  is  the  form: 

AGREEMENT  OF  EMPLOYMENT 

NEW  YORK  OFFICE  OF COMPANY,  STREET 

Co. , ,  — ,  191 


GENTLEMEN: 

This  is  to  certify  that ,  hereinafter  called  "the 

employee, ' '  has  been  engaged  for  the  position  of at , 

South  America,  or  at  any  other  place  in where  the  Com- 
pany may  desire  to  use  his  services  pertinent  to  such  position, 

at  a  pay  of for  a  period  of  two  (2)  years,  commencing 

on  day  starting  to  work  in and  terminating  two  (2)  years 

thereafter  at  the  then  place  of  occupation.  The  Company 
agrees  to  advance  transportation  from  New  York  City  to  desti- 
nation in .  The  Company  will  allow  full  time  from  date 

of  sailing  from  New  York  to  destination  in . 

One  third  of  the  employee's  pay  is  to  be  retained  by  the 
Company  on  each  pay  day,  until  a  total  sum  shall  have  been 
retained  equal  to  the  amount  advanced  by  the  Company  for 

transportation  to  destination  in ,  also  including  any  and 

all  amounts  advanced  for  transportation  and  expenses  to  and 
in  New  York.  On  the  pay  day  following  the  end  of  one  (1) 
year  from  date  of  commencement  of  his  employment,  if  the 
employee  is  still,  and  has  been  in  the  continuous  service  of  the 
Company,  then  the  total  amount  of  the  money  retained  for 
advances  will  be  paid  to  him.  If  he  leaves  the  service  of  the 
Company  before  expiration  of  one  (1)  year,  or  should  be  dis- 
charged for  good  cause,  then  the  Company  will  retain  the 
amounts  so  deducted,  and  shall  be  under  no  obligations  to  pay 
the  employee  any  part  thereof. 

At  the  end  of  a  period  of  two  (2)  years,  or  longer,  continuous 
service  under  this  contract  if  the  employee  desires  to  immedi- 
ately return  to  New  York,  then  the  Company  will  furnish  him 


MISCELLANEOUS   OPPORTUNITIES  107 

with  transportation  to  New  York  City.    It  is  understood  that 

unless  the  employee  leaves for  his  return  trip  by  the  first 

steamer  available,  after  the  termination  of  this  contract,  or 
any  extension  thereof,  then  such  delay  is  at  his  own  expense, 
and  it  is  further  understood  that  should  he  delay  more  than  (30) 

days  leaving (unless  prevented  on  account  of  sickness 

not  attributable  to,  or  induced  by  the  use  of  liquor,  or  other 
dissipation),  then  the  Company  shall  be  under  no  obligation 
to  furnish  or  pay  his  return  transportation,  or  any  part  thereof. 

In  case  it  is  mutually  desirous  that  the  employee  should 

remain  in  the  service  of  the  Company  in after  two  (2) 

years,  then  the  General  Manager  may  extend  this  contract  for 
a  further  term  not  exceeding  two  (2)  years. 

If  the  work  for  which  the  employee  is  engaged  be  suspended 
or  stopped,  then  the  Company  reserves  the  right  to  require  and 
use  the  services  of  said  employee  in  some  other  department  or 

location  of  its  works  in or  in  some  other  capacity  than 

stated  above,  but  at  no  lower  rate  of  pay,  or  the  Company  at 
its  option  may  forthwith  terminate  this  contract  by  paying  the 
employ  his  full  wages  for  services  rendered  to  date  of  such  term- 
ination, and  returning  to  him  any  sum  retained  for  passage 
down,  and  furnishing  him  return  transportation,  as,  and  upon 
the  conditions  specified  in  this  contract  on  other  termination 
thereof. 

In  case  the  employee  should  become  sick,  due  to  climatic 
conditions,  and  not  attributable  to  or  induced  by  the  use  of 
liquor,  or  other  dissipation,  or  if  bodily  injured  by  accident, 
without  any  fault  or  negligence  of  his  own,  while  on  the  Com- 
pany's  work,  one-half  to  three-quarters  of  full  time  will  be 
allowed  (at  discretion  of  Dept.  Supt.)  on  presentation  of 
proper  doctor's  certificate  of  period  of  such  sickness.  No  time 
will  be  allowed  in  cases  of  sickness  from  sexual  diseases. 

If  the  Company 's  doctor  certifies  that  the  employee  through 
no  fault  of  his  own)  cannot  stand  the  work  at  the  altitude  of  the 
works,  the  Company  agrees  to  send  him  back  to  New  York,  at 
its  expense;  but  no  time  will  be  allowed  while  traveling. 

About  every  six  (6)  months,  a  vacation  of  two  (2)  weeks  will 
be  allowed  on  full  time,  this  means  three  (3)  vacations  of  two  (2) 


108      CHANCES   IN  SOUTH   AND   CENTRAL   AMERICA 

weeks  each,  during  period  of  contract.  The  exact  time  of  such 
vacation  to  be  at  the  Company 's  discretion,  depending  on  the 
necessity  for  the  services  of  the  employee.  No  accumulation 
of  vacation  will  be  permitted  nor  will  cash  be  allowed  in  lieu  of 
vacation  not  taken. 

The  employee  is  to  pay  his  own  board.  If  he  desires  to 
board  at  the  Company's  boarding  house,  he  is  to  pay  at  the 
regular  rate  of  Fifty  (50)  soles  per  month  (equal  to  about  $24.25 
U.  S.  Currency).  The  Company  will  furnish  said  employee 
should  he  so  desire  for  his  individual  use  free  lodging  at  a  Com- 
pany lodging  house.  Should  he  lodge  elsewhere,  it  will  be  at 
his  own  expense. 

Two  (2)  soles  per  month  will  be  retained  from  pay  of  employee 
for  his  proportion  of  Hospital  fees.  No  other  charge  for  com- 
pany's Hospital,  or  doctor's  services,  will  be  made.  Should 
the  employee  in  case  of  illness,  or  need  for  medical  or  surgical 
treatment,  elect  to  be  treated  elsewhere  than  at  the  Company's 
Hospital,  or  by  other  than  the  Company's  doctors,  then  it 
must  be  at  his  own  cost  and  expense,  and  without  charge  to  the 
Company. 

No  time,  or  pay,  will  be  allowed  for  any  other  reason  than 
herein  specified. 

During  the  terms  of  this  agreement  the  employee  is  not  to 
accept  employment  from  any  person  or  company  other  than 
this  Company,  and  during  such  term  is  not  to  engage  in  any 
outside  business,  speculation  or  enterprise  in . 

All  wages  to  be  paid  in  — ,  once  a  month  on  regular  pay 

days. 

COMPANY, 

By 

Secretary-Treasurer. 

The  above  terms  are  in  accordance  with  my  understanding 
of  my  engagement,  and  are  satisfactory  to  and  accepted  by  me, 
and  I  agree  to  faithfully  and  competently  perform  the  work 
assigned  to  me.  I  further  agree  to  devote  my  entire  energies 

and  services  to  the Company  and  not  to  work  for 

anyone  else  either  with  or  without  compensation  at  any  time 
during  the  term  of  my  employment  by  said  Company,  and  not 


MISCELLANEOUS   OPPORTUNITIES  109 

to  engage  in  nor  become  financially  interested  in  any  other 
business  or  in  any  other  company,  property  or  enterprise  in 

as  long  as  I  am  in  the  service  of  the Company. 

I  agree  to  have  this  contract  duly  legalized  on  my  arrival  in 


P.  S.    This  man  engaged  by sails  from  New  York  on 


STORIES  OF  SUCCESS  AND  OF  FAILURE 

I  have  been  greatly  interested  in  the  many  young 
men  who  have  come  to  me  from  time  to  time  to  talk 
about  the  opportunities  of  Latin  America.  These 
stories  I  believe  will  interest  readers  and  a  few  of  them 
are  here  related : 

A  Yale  graduate,  who  had  been  working  in  western 
mining  sections,  came  all  the  way  from  Arizona  to 
Washington  to  talk  about  casting  his  lot  in  South 
America.     His  ambition  had  been  fired  by  newspaper 
and  magazine  articles,  and  his  position  in  western  mines 
was  unsatisfactory.     I  talked  with  him  an  hour.     He 
possessed  education,  health,  ability,  a  strong  constitu- 
tion and  good  character.     Why  should  he  not  go  to 
South  America?    He  obtained  the  names  of  American 
mining  companies  operating  in  South  America  and 
which  have  offices  in  New  York.     Three  weeks  later  I 
happened  to  be  in  Panama,  where  I  accidentally  met 
the  young  man.     He  was  ready  to  sail  for  Peru,  where 
the  Cerro  de  Pasco  Mining  Company  was  to  utilize  his 
services.    His  passage  money  to  Peru  was  advanced 
by  the  Company  and  a  two-year  contract  signed  at  a 
satisfactory  salary.     Here  is  an  example  tending  to 
show  that  preparedness  is  recognized  by  companies, 
which  often  make  openings  for  the  right  kind  of  man. 
The  same  company  doubtless  turns  away  scores  of 
applicants  for  positions,  but  the  fact  that  it  employs 
many  Americans  and  that  it  has  a  printed  form  of  appli- 
cation blank  as  well  as  contract  blanks  indicates  that 
qualified  men  are  at  least  to  be  given  consideration. 

110 


SUCCESS  AND    FAILURE  111 

As  these  lines  are  written  I  have  been  interrupted  by 
a  retired  architect.  He  called  to  talk  about  going  to 
Peru.  He  believed  he  and  his  wife  could  profitably 
spend  two  years  in  that  country  in  order  that  their  son, 
just  growing  into  manhood,  might  learn  the  Spanish 
language  and  at  the  same  time  become  familiar  with 
the  business  progress  of  Peru,  a  country  he  believed 
susceptible  of  wonderful  development  after  the  opening 
of  Panama  Canal.  I  thought  his  idea  a  capital  one,  at 
least  for  those  who  have  the  means  and  a  son 's  interest 
at  stake. 

Another  father,  whose  son  is  21  years  old  and  a  college 
graduate,  asks  if  the  young  man  should  be  sent  to  South 
America.  The  son  is  anxious  to  spend  a  year  studying 
on  the  ground  the  language  and  commercial  conditions. 
I  advised  the  young  man  to  stay  in  the  United  States. 
Why?  Because  his  character  is  not  formed;  far  from 
home  and  friends  the  usual  Latin  city  would  probably 
ruin  the  youth;  he  should  wait  or  go  south  with  older 
persons  who  might  at  least  have  a  business  interest  in 
him  and  upon  whose  counsel  he  could  lean. 

These  are  examples  of  two  very  young  men  who  are 
interested  in  growing  up  amid  Latin-American  scenes 
and  conditions;  and  the  reasons  it  is  advisable  for  the 
one  to  go  and  the  other  to  remain  in  the  United  States, 
are,  of  course,  apparent. 

The  following  is  the  story  in  brief  of  a  Chicago  man, 
about  40  years  of  age.  He  has  been  holding  a  respon- 
sible railroad  position  for  12  years.  For  seven  years  he 
has  been  at  the  same  desk  in  the  traffic  department, 
and  no  promotion  is  likely  to  occur  until  the  chief  of  the 
department  is  promoted,  retires  or  dies.  This  young 


112      CHANCES   IN   SOUTH  AND   CENTRAL  AMERICA 

man's  record  is  excellent,  but  from  his  experiences  he 
sees  no  chance  of  improving  his  position.  He  asks 
about  the  opportunities  offered  in  Latin  America. 
Here  again  comes  the  fact  that  railway  construction  in 
the  United  States  is  not  especially  active,  while  the 
Latin  countries  promise  continued  building  of  trunk 
lines  for  many  years.  Other  things  being  equal,  this 
man's  chance  would  seem  to  be  enhanced  by  getting 
into  close  touch  with  the  construction  or  operating  of 
Latin- American  railways.  The  Peruvian  Corporation, 
for  instance,  employs  many  North  Americans  in  oper- 
ating the  railways  of  Peru ;  the  Farquhar  Syndicate  and 
its  gigantic  development  schemes  also  offer  many 
opportunities  for  the  American-trained  traffic  man. 
Indeed  the  list  of  possible  openings  for  this  man  is  long. 

(See  names  in  appendix.) 

/ 

THE   DIAMOND   HUNTERS 

Several  years  ago  the  writer  met  in  Brazil  four  young 
men  from  a  North  American  city.  They  had  just 
arrived  in  Rio  de  Janeiro  and  were  en  route  to  the 
diamond  fields  of  Brazil,  having  read  in  North  American 
papers  glowing  accounts  of  the  industry  and  the  possi- 
bility of  large  fortunes  being  picked  up  in  an  incredibly 
short  time.  I  talked  with  them  when  they  arrived; 
also  saw  them  two  weeks  later  when  they  departed  for 
home.  Their  stay  was  short;  they  did  not  even  reach 
the  diamond  fields,  although  they  did  proceed  as  far 
as  existing  rail  transportation  could  take  them.  When 
the  hardships  of  interior  travel  and  life  in  the  open  were 
encountered,  these  city-bred  young  men  were  surprised 


SUCCESS   AND   FAILITEE  113 

and  discouraged.  They  were  hungry,  tired  and  sick; 
their  glowing  expectations  had  been  rudely  brought 
face  to  face  with  stern  realities,  and  they  were  found 
wanting  in  preparation  and  perseverance.  Where  was 
the  trouble?  Just  here;  they  went  to  South  America 
ill-prepared  for  hardships,  and  where  their  object  called 
for  qualities  that  tax  the  strength  and  endurance  of  the 
strongest  men.  The  diamond  fields  of  Brazil  or  those 
of  any  other  country  are  not  likely  to  yield  treasures 
without  long,  persistent  and  serious  labor,  and  these 
hunters  should  have  previously  acquainted  themselves 
with  the  Brazilian  laws  on  the  subject  as  well  as  with  the 
physical  qualities  demanded  for  success. 

A  short  time  ago  I  received  a  letter  from  a  salesman 
who,  at  the  time  of  writing,  was  aboard  a  Chilean 
steamer  well  down  the  west  coast.  Every  line  breathed 
of  discouragement,  which  doubtless  he  had  encountered 
in  the  countries  already  visited.  He  said  he  knew  few 
words  of  Spanish,  that  he  left  home  hurriedly  without 
posting  himself  on  South  American  countries  and  finally 
he  asked  that  I  send  him  certain  books  dealing  with 
Latin  America.  These  he  wanted  to  receive  when  he 
arrived  in  Buenos  Aires. 

It  might  have  been  better  had  this  man  remained  at 
home,  for  he  went  forth  to  the  field  unequipped,  not 
knowing  what  was  the  demand  for  his  goods,  with  little 
knowledge  of  the  conditions  to  be  met  or  of  the  competi- 
tion he  would  have  to  fight,  and  above  all  without 
knowing  the  language  of  the  -people  with  whom  he 
wanted  to  do  business.  Once  home  and  having  been 
unsuccessful,  this  man  will  not  be  an  advocate  of  trad- 
ing with  Latin  America.  But,  I  ask  the  reader,  is  such 


114      CHANCES   IN  SOUTH  AND   CENTRAL  AMERICA 

an  ill-planned  business  trip  in  keeping  with  our  modern 
business  methods? 

Some  of  the  educational  institutions  of  the  United 
States  are  making  a  specialty  of  preparing  young  men 
for  the  field  of  salesmanship,  and  more  particularly 
with  reference  to  Latin  America.  Such  a  move  is  one 
to  be  commended  and  is  a  service  in  which  good  results 
are  almost  sure  to  follow. 

Another  case  by  way  of  illustration,  which  came  to 
my  attention.  On  board  a  ship  northward  bound  from 
Valparaiso  I  met  a  commercial  traveler  from  the  United 
States.  He  first  attracted  my  attention  by  his  pro- 
ficiency in  the  use  of  Spanish.  We  became  friends  and 
from  him  I  learned  these  facts  about  his  work:  as  a 
clerk  in  the  Philippines  he  had  mastered  the  Spanish 
language.  He  returned  to  the  United  States  and  in 
looking  around  for  something  to  do  he  decided  to  be- 
come a  salesman  in  South  America.  He  had  trouble  in 
securing  a  line  of  goods,  but  having  lived  with  Spanish- 
speaking  people  he  felt  especially  capable  of  meeting 
the  South  Americans,  and  he  persisted.  Finally  a  busi- 
ness house  engaged  him  at  a  small  salary.  He  was  to 
travel  through  several  South  American  countries,  the 
firm  agreeing  to  be  satisfied  if  he  sold  on  his  initial  trip 
sufficient  goods  to  pay  his  expenses.  He  arrived  in 
Buenos  Aires,  where  he  spent  several  weeks.  He 
mingled  with  the  people  in  clubs,  hotels  and  business 
houses  generally,  and  ere  he  left  the  Argentine  capital 
he  had  sufficient  orders  to  pay  his  expenses  from  New 
York  and  return.  He  was  greatly  pleased.  He 
pressed  on  to  Chilean  cities,  where  he  more  than  dupli- 


SUCCESS   AND    FAILURE  115 

cated  his  Argentine  success.  I  saw  him  some  months 
later;  this  time  in  Lima.  He  was  elated.  He  had  done 
an  excellent  business  in  Chile,  and  his  firm  was  greatly 
pleased  with  the  venture  in  the  South  American  field. 

Three  reasons,  I  believe,  underlie  the  success  of  this 
salesman.  He  studied  his  line  thoroughly — he  was  a 
competent  business  man  and  he  sold  an  article  in  uni- 
versal demand  in  growing  communities,  and  he  met 
European  competition. 

A  few  years  ago  a  United  States  automobile  concern 
decided  to  enter  the  Argentine  market.  This  firm 
was  most  fortunate  in  securing  a  capable  representative, 
a  man  who  had  lived  with  Spanish-speaking  peoples 
and  therefore  knew  something  of  their  manners  and 
customs.  This  representative  insisted  on  taking  with 
him  a  mechanic  or  two  who  were  skilled  in  automobile 
repairing.  A  garage  was  established  in  Buenos  Aires 
and  then  the  publicity  and  sale  of  machines  was  pushed; 
the  fact  of  the  American  mechanics  being  on  the  ground 
with  every  facility  for  quickly  repairing  any  break  or 
damage  to  machines  was  a  strong  argument  and  greatly 
assisted  the  sales  end  of  the  enterprise. 

This  salesman  met  with  success  from  the  very  begin- 
ning notwithstanding  the  fierce  competition  that  con- 
fronted him  from  several  European  countries.  The 
real  factors  underlying  his  success  may  be  traced  to  his 
own  forethought  in  providing  his  own  mechanics  and 
to  a  most  aggressive  advertising  campaign.  Both  of 
these  features  were  costly  but  the  company  has  already 
seen  the  wisdom  of  the  venture  and  the  salesman  has 
far  exceeded  his  expectations.  His  financial  returns 


116      CHANCES   IN   SOUTH   AND    CENTRAL   AMERICA 

have  been  large,  as  in  addition  to  a  salary,  he  receives  a 
commission  on  all  business  he  creates. 

Another  young  man  whom  I  could  name,  is  doing  a 
flourishing  business  in  Brazilian  cities.  He  has  con- 
verted an  old  automobile  into  a  stone-cleaning  machine 
and  is  cleaning  the  outside  of  buildings  by  a  sand  blast 
method.  The  enterprise  seems  to  have  met  with  suc- 
cess at  once  and  the  young  man  has  more  work  promised 
than  he  can  do  for  weeks. 

This  work  may  be  limited  as  regards  a  permanent 
occupation  but  it  is  merely  mentioned  here  to  show  that 
a  study  of  the  needs  of  cities  and  communities  often 
leads  to  profitable  employment.  Facts  that  are  true 
as  to  the  house-cleaning  contrivance  might  be  applied 
to  other  industrial  lines. 

Undaunted  by  four  years  of  arduous  services  in  the 
forests  of  Brazil  and  Bolivia  two  young  American  civil 
engineers  are  now  planning  to  return  to  these  forests 
and  develop  lumber  industries.  As  engineers  on  the 
Mamore-Madeira  Railway  they  were  impressed  with 
the  quantities  of  lumber  now  made  accessible  by  the 
railway.  Both  young  men  are  strong  physically, 
highly  educated,  and  their  venture  is  looked  upon  with 
interest. 

Had  such  an  enterprise  been  attempted  by  men  who 
had  never  seen  South  America  it  might  have  been  wiser 
to  have  found  a  wooded  area  not  so  remote  from  civili- 
zation. As  it  is,  the  two  engineers  know  perfectly  the 
difficulties  that  confront  them  in  the  Amazon  wilds, 
they  return  there  thoroughly  seasoned  to  hardships. 
Furthermore,  they  have  canvassed  the  factories  in  the 
United  States  and  know  just  the  class  of  lumber  most 


SUCCESS   AND    FAILURE  117 

needed  and  the  good  prices  it  will  bring  in  world  mar- 
kets. They  also  have  the  armor  of  government  moral 
support  and  it  is  believed  that  this  venture  will  be 
successful. 

Their  purpose  at  first  is  to  employ  native  labor,  to 
cut  only  cedar  logs  and  raft  them  to  the  nearest  Amazon 
steamer,  load  them  aboard,  and  finally  ship  them  to  the 
port  of  Mobile,  Galveston  or  New  Orleans. 

The  young  Scotch-American  who  went  to  Bolivia 
thirteen  years  ago  and  became  a  stage  driver  furnishes 
a  typical  illustration  of  thrift.  Today  he  is  one  of  the 
prominent  business  men  of  the  country,  with  stage  lines 
of  his  own;  he  does  a  large  contracting  business  and 
travels  occasionally  to  Europe  and  North  America 
with  his  family.  In  conversation  he  said  to  the  writer 
that  within  a  few  years  he  hopes  to  retire  from  active 
business  with  a  competency. 

This  man 's  success  has  not  been  won  on  downy  beds 
of  ease;  on  the  contrary  he  has  worked  very  hard,  and 
often  among  Indians  and  half  breeds  who  made  con- 
struction camps  ring  with  all  that  is  corrupt,  but  he 
kept  at  his  various  undertakings  and  today  commands 
an  army  of  laborers.  He  has  grown  up  with  railways 
and  the  commerce  that  always  follows  lines  of  transpor- 
tation. 

Human  wrecks  of  North  Americans  who  have  gone 
to  Latin  countries  are  frequently  met,  and  their  sad 
plight  is  an  object  of  sympathy.  A  more  pitiful  sight 
could  scarcely  be  found  than  that  of  an  American 
woman  confined  in  a  Central  American  prison,  the 
charge  against  her  being  murder.  I  visited  the  prison 
and  from  attendants  learned  that  this  woman,  appar- 


118      CHANCES   IN   SOUTH   AND    CENTRAL   AMERICA 

ently  abandoned  and  forgotten  by  her  relatives,  if 
are  living,  is  serving  a  three-year  sentence  for  killing  one 
of  her  woman  companions,  in  self  defense,  it  was  stated. 

In  a  small  Chilean  village  one  day  I  was  startled  to 
hear  an  English  voice  beg  for  alms.  A  decrepit  old 
man  from  the  United  States,  who  told  a  plausible  story, 
was  apparently  in  a  dreadful  condition  far  from  home 
and  friends  without  the  slightest  hope  of  ever  being 
able  to  return  to  his  land,  and  relatives,  if  such  he 
possessed. 

In  another  Chilean  town  I  met  two  sailors  who  had 
deserted  from  the  United  States  battleships  when  the 
fleet  was  touring  the  world.  Their  plight  was  also  a 
sad  one;  but  probably  ere  this  time  they  have  succeeded 
in  working  their  way  home  on  coasting  vessels,  a  course 
often  open  to  strong  and  robust  men. 

On  a  Bolivian  railroad  another  young  North  American 
appealed  to  me  for  aid.  His  weak  condition  and  trem- 
bling hand  told  of  a  life  of  debauchery;  the  life  in  wild 
construction  camps  with  mostly  Indians  as  companions 
had  proved  too  severe  a  tax  on  morality  and  he  suc- 
cumbed. 

In  most  of  the  Latin-American  countries  there  are  to 
be  found  scores  of  more  or  less  similar  cases,  but  these 
pages  are  not  to  record  stories  of  misfortune.  Only  a 
few  cases  are  given  and  these  as  examples  of  what  be- 
comes of  some  of  our  citizens  who  go  out  to  other  lands 
with  high  hopes  and  prospects.  Possibly  these  persons 
would  not  have  led  any  better  or  more  useful  lives  at 
home,  for  every  American  city  has  its  quota  of  the 
downtrodden  and  the  lowly. 


SUCCESS  AND   FAILURE  119 

The  sad  end  that  came  to  Perry  Boyd,  for  seven  years 
an  employee  of  the  Cerro  de  Pasco  Mining  Co.,  of  Peru, 
from  the  bite  of  a  jungle  fly,  the  uta  venenosa,  need 
not  be  retold  in  detail.  When  beyond  human  aid  his 
attempt  to  tramp  back  into  the  forest  and  there  die; 
his  return  to  civilization  and  the  permission  he  gave  a 
physician  to  take  his  picture  in  his  awful  condition, 
that  medical  science  might  benefit,  forms  a  story  worthy 
of  a  hero  on  the  field  of  battle. 


A  PLEA  FOR  THE  SPANISH  AND  PORTU- 
GUESE LANGUAGES1 

All  over  our  land  the  business  man  hears  the  com- 
mercial slogan:  "Get  Ready  for  the  Panama  Canal." 
As  a  corollary,  permit  me  to  add:  "Get  Ready  to  Talk 
with  the  People  of  Latin  America." 

Apropos  of  the  early  opening  of  this  great  waterway 
I  am  requested  by  the  Southern  Commercial  Congress 
to  relate  a  few  of  my  observations  made  during  years 
of  business  and  social  intercourse  with  the  peoples  of 
Central  and  South  America.  As  a  world  traveler  I 
have  found  many  points  of  business  similarity  among 
men  in  various  countries,  but  there  are  certain  matters 
apparently  trifling  in  themselves,  that  must  not  be 
overlooked. 

To  establish  successful  business  relations  with  a 
people  we  must  know  something  of  their  language, 
customs,  manners  and  life;  when  these  cardinal  prin- 
ciples are  fairly  understood  the  desired  end  is  much 
more  easily  attained. 

The  opening  of  the  Panama  Canal  marks  another 
wonderful  epoch  in  the  race  to  annihilate  distance. 
Our  South  American  brothers  are  apparently  drawn 
nearej  to  us  as  the  continents  are  rent  asunder.  Lead- 
ing steamship  companies  are  anticipating  increased 
trade  and  traffic  by  building  new  ships;  excursion 
steamers  from  North  to  South  America  are  already 

1  Extract  from  an  article  written  for  the  Southern  Commer- 
cial Congress,  1913. 

120 


PLEA   FOR   SPANISH   LANGUAGE  121 

annual  events  and  travel  in  general  is  growing  apace; 
exports  and  imports  with  Latin  countries  have  enor- 
mously increased  in  recent  years  yet  many  predict  that 
we  are  only  at  the  threshold  of  a  wonderful  commercial 
development  between  the  Americas. 

First.  In  responding  to  the  slogan,  "Get  Ready  for 
Foreign  Business,"  and  for  more  intimate  dealings  with 
our  Latin-American  brothers,  then,  I  should  urge  the 
young  business  man  to  familiarize  himself  with  the 
Spanish  language,  and  if  possible  with  the  Portuguese 
(the  language  of  Brazil).  With  a  working  knowledge  of 
these  two  languages  he  will  be  in  a  position  to  transact 
business  with  twenty  Republics  (Haiti,  French)  of 
Central  and  South  America.  A  knowledge  of  their 
language  will  bring  a  desire  to  know  more  of  the  history 
and  life  of  the  Latin  peoples,  and  incidentally,  this 
desire  will  grow  and  ripen,  perchance,  into  friendship 
and  a  better  understanding,  and  in  the  end  lead  to 
important  business  connections. 

Many  North  American  business  houses  are  receiving 
letters  from  Latin  America,  which  they  are  unable  to 
read;  not  because  the  letters  are  badly  written — in  fact 
the  typewriter  is  common  in  those  countries — but 
because  the  American  does  not  understand  the  Spanish 
language.  Various  bureaus  have  been  established  for 
the  purpose  of  translating  the  correspondence  between 
the  two  Americas,  but  the  firms,  probably  hundreds  of 
miles  from  the  translator,  alwa)'s  suffer  delay  and  the 
arrangement  is  generally  unsatisfactory.  Here  is 
another  opportunity  where  Spanish  is  desirable,  and  I 
might  say  profitable,  for  the  young  man  having  this 
qualification  in  addition  to  other  abilities  is  in  demand, 


122      CHANCES   IN    SOUTH   AND    CENTRAL   AMERICA 

especially  so  as  our  commercial  relations  grow  more 
intimate  after  the  opening  of  the  Canal. 

Throughout  South  America  the  English  language  is 
being  taught  in  the  public  schools,  and  in  many  of  them 
it  is  obligatory.  On  being  introduced  to  the  President 
of  the  Peruvian  Senate  I  was  surprised  when  he  ad- 
dressed me  in  English;  in  Bolivia  a  leading  cabinet 
officer  spoke  to  me  in  perfect  English;  meeting  a  Brazil- 
ian congressman  in  Rio  de  Janeiro  I  noted  his  excellent 
command  of  the  English  language;  the  President  of 
Costa  Rica  addressed  me  in  perfect  English;  likewise 
in  all  of  the  Latin  Republics  the  English  language  is 
frequently  heard;  but  this  fact  only  indicates  a  degree 
of  culture  and  progress  prevailing  all  over  the  Southern 
continent.  Spanish  is,  and  perhaps  always  will  be  the 
popular  and  official  language  of  these  countries. 

It,  therefore,  behooves  the  North  American  student, 
and  especially  young  men  and  women  who  contemplate 
business  careers,  to  acquire  a  knowledge  of  the  Spanish 
language — the  language  of  nearly  eighty  million  of  the 
world 's  peoples. 


SOCIAL  ENVIRONMENTS 

In  Latin-American  countries  the  temptations  to 
intemperance  are,  according  to  my  observation,  rather 
greater  than  in  North  America.  In  smaller  cities  public 
amusements  are  limited.  The  clubs  everywhere  are 
always  stocked  with  the  finest  of  liquors  and  gaming  of 
every  description  is  a  constant  indulgence.  This  fact 
is  also  largely  true  in  the  United  States. 

The  Latin's  hours  for  sleep  begin  much  later  than  is 
customary  in  the  United  States,  and  the  hours  for  com- 
mencing the  day's  labor  are  correspondingly  later. 
Amusements  are  prolonged  far  into  the  night  and  at 
times  the  hilarity  is  most  pronounced.  I  do  not  believe, 
however,  that  intoxication  is  any  more  noticeable  in 
those  countries  than  in  our  own  American  states. 

In  the  gay  Paris  of  South  America,  Buenos  Aires,  one 
sits  at  the  open  air  cafes  along  the  Avenida  de  Mayo; 
during  the  meals  everybody  drinks  domestic  or  imported 
wines  and  liquors,  but  the  number  of  intoxicated  persons 
is  comparatively  small. 

In  the  annual  carnival  seasons  in  Peruvian  and 
Bolivian  capitals,  festive  occasions  which  I  have 
enjoyed  in  both  cities,  though  in  different  years,  I  have 
seen  hundreds  of  drunken  men  and  women  but  most  of 
these  were  members  of  the  lower  strata  of  society  and 
its  counterpart,  in  smaller  numbers,  could  be  found  in 
our  own  disgraceful  dance  halls  in  many  cities. 

It  is  a  well  known  fact,  however,  that  many  English- 
speaking  people,  if  they  are  not  very  careful  of  their 

123 


124      CHANCES   IN   SOUTH   AND    CENTRAL   AMERICA 

habits,  deteriorate  after  some  years  residence  in  Latin 
countries.  Whether  this  is  caused  by  climatic  condi- 
tions or  from  isolation  from  home  and  friends  I  cannot 
say,  but  I  firmly  believe  the  statement  which  was  first 
made  to  me  by  a  prominent  Englishman  who  had  spent 
thirty  years  in  South  American  countries. 

Away  from  the  larger  Latin-American  cities  the 
country  is  still  in  the  making  and  the  countless  commer- 
cial enterprises  that  are  penetrating  interior  sections 
are  followed  by  a  crowd  of  laborers  and  adventurers 
as  well  as  by  the  stable  man  of  business,  and  as  the 
former  so  far  exceed  the"  latter  in  point  of  numbers,  the 
rough  element  in  population  is  very  apparent. 

It  is  into  the  midst  of  such  society  that  the  educated 
young  man  comes  for  the  purpose  of  aiding  and  direct- 
ing the  trend  of  commercial  and  industrial  progress, 
and  woe  unto  him  if  his  character  is  not  sufficiently 
moulded  or  is  too  weak  to  withstand  the  temptations 
that  constantly  prey  upon  him.  He  is  away  from  home 
and  friends,  mails  from  home  are  few,  and  his  whole 
environment  tends  to  dissipation. 

Such  places  are  but  crucibles,  and  often  there  emerge 
therefrom  young  men  of  character,  nerve,  strength  and 
ability  that  challenge  the  admiration  of  the  man  who 
has  never  been  beyond  the  confines  of  his  state,  and  who 
has  lived  the  quiet  life  where  strenuous  endeavor  is 
unknown. 

Probably  there  is  no  one  better  qualified  to  speak  on 
the  subject  of  the  South  Americans  and  of  the  difficulties 
they  have  overcome  than  Dr.  Ignacio  Calderon,  for  the 
last  ten  years  minister  from  Bolivia  to  the  United 
States.  Dr.  Calderon  is  a  leading  statesman  of  his 


SOCIAL   ENVIRONMENTS  125 

country,  and  during  his  residence  in  Washington  has 
rendered  conspicuous  services  in  introducing  American 
capital  into  Bolivia. 

In  an  address  he  gives  an  interesting  insight  into  early 
conditions.  He  said: 

The  people  of  the  United  States  of  North  America  not  only 
imbibed  from  their  English  ancestors  the  love  of  order  and 
habits  of  liberty,  but  had  a  vast  territory,  free  from  obstacles, 
fruitful  and  watered  by  great  rivers,  and  situated  opposite 
Europe,  from  whence  came  a  constant  current  of  immigration, 
that  has  greatly  contributed  to  advancement. 

The  Latin  republics  of  South  America,  although  occupying  a 
territory  more  than  double  the  size  of  the  United  States,  en- 
counter the  great  barrier  of  the  Andes  through  the  continent 
from  north  to  south,  preventing  the  communication  of  the 
peoples. 

The  distance  separating  them  from  Europe  is  almost  twice 
as  great  ....  The  immigrant  arrives  in  this  country  in 
a  few  days  and  at  a  small  expense,  while  the  voyage  to  South 
America  is  so  long  and  so  costly  as  to  prevent  them  from  going 
there. 

In  order  to  correctly  judge  the  conditions  and  the  develop- 
ment of  the  English  colonies  after  their  emancipation  as  com- 
pared with  the  progress  made  by  the  Spanish  colonies  it  is  well 
not  to  forget  these  circumstances. 

The  Spanish  conquerors  have  left  behind  them  a  legend 
unrivalled  in  the  world 's  annals  for  audacity  and  perseverance. 
If  they  had  displayed  less  cruelty  toward  the  vanquished  and 
greater  respect  for  human  rights  and  less  thirst  for  gold,  the 
pages  of  their  history  would  be  the  most  brilliant  of  mankind. 

We,  their  descendants,  if  we  inherit  many  of  their  defects, 
have  also  the  noble  qualities  that  make  the  Spanish  people  the 
most  chivalrous  of  Europe,  with  a  history  filled  with  great 

examples  of  patriotism  and  heroic  achievement. 

*        *        *        *        * 

On  the  other  hand,  the  English  colonies  from  the  earliest 
time  have  been  trained  in  the  practice  of  peaceful  and  orderly 


126      CHANCEfc   IN   SOUTH   AND   CENTRAL   AMERICA 

government  and  in  self-government;  while  we,  the  Spanish 
colonies,  under  the  despotic  and  arbitrary  rule  of  Spain,  had 
no  idea  of  order  or  law,  and  when  we  acquired  our  independence 
we  were  absolutely  incapable  of  governing  ourselves,  and  there- 
fore, many  years  of  bitter  strife  have  taught  us  the  lesson  of 
self-government,  and  after  that  period  that  I  could  call  the 
growing  pains  of  our  independence,  we  now  are  fully  entered 

into  the  era  of  order  and  development. 

***** 

Seiior  Don  Federico  Alfonso  Pezet,  the  able  and 
popular  minister  from  Peru  to  the  United  States,  in  a 
talk  before  the  Rochester  Chamber  of  Commerce,  said : 

We  are  a  funny  lot  of  people.  We  have  our  defects,  and  big 
ones;  but  we  have  certain  good  qualities,  and  they  are  very 
large.  It  is  not  that  we  are  sentimental,  or  that  we  are  gov- 
erned by  sentiment.  But  it  is  probably  due  to  the  fact  that  we 
were  colonized  and  conquered,  and  dominated  by  Spain,  that  a 
certain  amount  of  chivalry,  refinement,  and  I  don't  know  how  to 
express  it —  but  you  know  what  it  is  that  pervades  us.  It  is  in 
us  and  we  like  to  be  rubbed  the  right  way.  We  are  very  quick 
in  giving;  we  are  very  kind;  we  are  willing  to  meet  more  than 
half  way.  We  will  go  forward  to  meet  our  man,  but  then  we 
crave  for  a  smile,  for  a  kind  word,  for  something  nice.  We  want 
culture,  we  want  politeness. 

We  want  just  the  middle  course — the  same  as  you  do  when 
you  are  driving  a  bargain  at  home  with  your  other  Americans. 
You  know  how  to  approach  him;  you  know  how  he  is  going  to 

receive  you.    Well,  try  the  same  thing  with  us But 

don't  try  to  thrust  things  down  our  throats,  because  they  are 
made  by  you,  you  use  them,  you  wear  them,  and  you  like  them. 

In  order  to  present  another  pen  picture  of  the  South 
American  I  take  the  liberty  of  quoting  the  words  of  a 
distinguished  Venezuelan,  Dr.  Francisco  J.  Yanes,  the 
assistant  director  of  the  Pan-American  Union  at  Wash- 
ington: 


SOCIAL   ENVIRONMENTS  127 

Of  the  20  Latin-American  countries,  Spanish  is  the  language 
of  18;  Portuguese  of  1,  Brazil,  and  French  1,  Haiti.  This  means 
at  the  outset  that  the  controlling  influence  that  must  needs 
characterize  each  country  is  primarily  that  handed  down  to  it 
by  its  ancestors.  It  signifies  that  in  the  main  our  tastes,  likes 
and  dislikes  are  not  the  same  as  those  of  the  North  Americans, 
scions  of  the  races  of  Northern  Europe.  Our  education  is 
based  upon  systems  applicable  to  our  needs  and  in  keeping  with 
our  ideals;  our  legal  and  moral  standards  are  measured  accord- 
ing to  a  different  conception  of  right  and  wrong;  our  religious 
beliefs  are  those  of  our  forefathers ;  our  literary  tastes  have  been 
formed  through  our  intellectual  intercourse  with  France;  our 
music  is  languid  and  dreamy,  like  that  of  the  Latin  peoples; 
our  nature  is  polite  and  hospitable,  generous  and  improvident. 
Our  mentality  is  highly  developed,  and  our  mind  is  restless, 
both  by  heredity  and  by  reason  of  our  surroundings,  because 
life  is  easy  and  time  almost  an  unknown  factor,  since  there  is 
no  strenuous  competition  to  spur  our  ambition,  no  severe 
change  of  seasons  to  compel  us  to  crowd  into  a  few  months  a 
work  that  can  be  done  day  by  day.  In  this  almost  enforced 
idleness  we  may  find  the  cause  of  many  a  political  disturbance 
of  the  past.  Lack  of  population,  excess  of  natural  wealth, 
absence  of  real  want,  have  been  hitherto  enemies  to  the  material 
progress  of  many  of  our  countries. 

This  is,  as  you  well  understand,  too  broad  a  generalization 
of  the  characteristics  of  my  Latin- American  brothers,  a  hasty 
picture  drawn  simply  to  show  you  the  superficial  differences 
that  you  will  find  in  dealing  with  them.  You  must  bear  in 
mind  that  this  has  not  been  said  with  the  idea  of  casting  any 
reflection  on  Latin  Americans,  for  you  will  find  that  we  are  pre- 
eminently fit  for  the  highest  exigencies  of  progress  and  civili- 
zation, a  people  adaptable  to  all  conditions  of  life,  eager  to 
accept  and  welcome  the  best,  ready  to  discard  old  systems  and 
use  modern  methods  in  their  stead,  anxious  to  prosper  and 
keep  pace  with  the  most  advanced  strides  of  civilization.  But, 
conscious  of  our  own  intelligence  and  masters  of  our  own  means, 
we  resent  imposition,  we  resent  being  looked  upon  as  an  inferior 
people,  or  as  an  easy  prey  to  scheming  adventurers  or  ignorant 
and  supercilious  travelers. 


128      CHANCES   IN   SOUTH   AND    CENTRAL   AMERICA 

Speaking  of  the  character  of  the  business  men  of 
Cuba,  Mr.  A.  G.  Robinson,  commercial  agent  of  the 
United  States  Department  of  Commerce,  makes  the 
following  report,  which  may  be  taken  as  typical  of  the 
better  class  of  the  Latin- American  merchant  in  general. 

THE   SPANISH  MERCHANT 

The  commercial  business  of  the  island  is  very  largely  in  the 
hands  of  Spaniards,  men  of  high  commercial  integrity  and  of  rare 
business  sagacity.  To  regard  them  as  doubtful  and  unreliable 
debtors  is  a  profound  mistake.  Attention  may  here  be  called 
to  an  interesting  fact.  From  1895  to  1898  Cuba  was  in  the  throes 
of  a  revolution  that  resulted  in  the  establishment  of  the  Repub- 
lic. From  January  1,  1899,  to  May,  1902,  there  was  a  period 
of  political  reconstruction  and  economic  restoration  under 
American  auspices.  It  is  responsibly  asserted  that  in  all 
these  seven  years  of  disturbance  and  disaster  and  recuperation 
therefrom  there  was  no  commercial  failure  of  noticeable  impor- 
tance. The  proprietors  of  little  country  stores,  their  business 
ruined  by  the  disorder  of  the  times,  notified  the  merchants  with 
whom  they  dealt  of  their  inability  to  pay  their  accounts  and 
surrendered  their  stocks  to  be  credited  to  them,  but  among  those 
with  whom  any  American  exporter  would  be  at  all  likely  to 
deal  it  is  credibly  reported  that  no  failure  occurred.  Much 
of  this  condition  is  due,  of  course,  to  the  fact  of  extension  of 
credits  by  the  Spanish  and  other  European  concerns  from  whom 
merchandise  was  purchased,  but  it  forms  an  interesting  and 
notable  commercial  experience. 


THE  YOUNG  LATIN  AMERICAN 

It  may  be  asked  what  the  young  Latin  American  is 
doing  in  the  way  of  preparing  for  a  useful  career.  The 
answer  would  surprise  most  persons  not  acquainted 
with  the  subject,  just  as  the  Argentine  minister,  Dr. 
Romulo  S.  Naon,  surprised  Harvard  students  and  pro- 
fessors a  short  time  ago  by  telling  them  that  in  the 
great  University  of  Buenos  Aires  there  are  more  students 
than  at  Harvard.  Furthermore,  the  famous  University 
of  San  Marcos  in  Lima  is  many  years  older  than  our 
most  ancient  institution  of  learning  at  Cambridge. 

In  the  Latin  countries  there  are  found  many  colleges 
which  turn  out  scholars,  literary  men,  poets  and  states- 
men; but  in  the  mechanical  arts  and  science  courses, 
agriculture,  etc.,  a  vast  number  of  the  most  progressive 
students  find  their  way  to  institutions  of  Europe  and 
the  United  States,  to  return  to  their  country  after  a 
few  years  and  practice  their  profession  or  engage  in 
business. 

Thousands  of  them  are  found  in  European  institu- 
tions while  probably  not  more  than  1500  are  studying 
in  the  United  States.  The  greater  number  of  the  latter 
are  in  the  universities  of  Pennsylvania  and  Notre  Dame, 
and  in  smaller  groups  they  are  found  scattered  all  over 
the  United  States  and  in  Canada.  In  the  high  class 
business  college,  such  as  several  in  New  York,  Phila- 
delphia, Poughkeepsie,  and  other  places,  there  are  also 
many  students  from  Latin  America.  These  young 
men  return  to  their  homeland  taking  with  them  many 

129 


130      CHANCES   IN   SOUTH   AND   CENTRAL   AMERICA 

of  our  business  methods  as  well  as  the  most  modern 
appliances  and  fixtures  for  pursuing  their  business  or 
professional  life. 

According  to  a  recent  report,  Argentina  is  to  send 
to  the  United  States  annually  six  honor  graduates  of 
the  University  of  Buenos  Aires.  These  young  men  will 
pursue  post-graduate  work  in  several  of  our  leading 
institutions.  This  is  a  movement  in  which  it  is  said 
the  Argentine  minister,  at  Washington,  Dr.  Naon  is 
interested  and  by  whom  it  is  being  fostered. 

The  educated  young  Latin  American  is  a  fine  type  of 
man  and  he  is  accepting  the  best  ideas  from  foreign 
lands  and  combining  them  with  his  own. 

The  ability  of  these  young  men  is  especially  reflected 
when  they  assemble  in  great  student  conferences,  such 
as  have  taken  place  on  three  occasions;  a  movement 
which  is  briefly  outlined  in  the  pages  that  follow. 

A  representative  of  the  Pan  American  Union,1  who 
made  exhaustive  studies  of  educational  systems  of  the 
various  Latin-American  countries,  has  this  to  say  about 
the  student  movement: 

An  unusual  movement  now  on  foot  is  that  of  the  student 
movement  throughout  South  America.  In  each  university 
there  is  a  student  association  unlike  anything  in  this  country. 
It  is  a  general  association  open  to  all  students  and  practically 
all  students  are  members.  In  the  larger  universities  there  is  a 
student  society  in  each  school  and  above  the  school  society  is 
the  general  society  of  the  whole  university.  A  short  while  ago 
they  formed  a  league  of  student  societies  for  all  America.  They 
have  already  held  three  general  students'  congresses,  with 
representatives  from  all  Latin-American  universities. 

1  Dr.  E.  E.  Brandon  Vice-President  of  Miami  University. 


THE   YOUNG   LATIN   AMERICAN  131 

These  congresses  are  probably  the  most  unique  and  unusual 
institutions  of  the  kind  ever  gathered  together  in  any  part  of 
the  world.  They  have  for  their  object  to  create  a  student 
sympathy  throughout  all  America.  The  idea  is  that  of  a 
general  peace  movement  of  good  fellowship  and  amity  between 
the  different  countries.  An  international  sympathy  as  a  result 
of  this  movement  may  come  about  quicker  than  might  be 
expected  because  the  leading  men  of  all  the  countries  taking 
part  are  graduates  of  the  various  universities. 

The  first  Congress  of  American  Students  convened  in 
the  city  of  Montevideo  in  1908.  A  year  previous  the 
"Asociacion  de  Estudiantes  de  Montevideo  sent  out 
invitations  to  colleges  all  over  the  American  continents 
for  a  meeting  in  that  city,  the  purposes  of  which  were 
to  form  an  international  student  body,  the  spirit  of 
which  was  to  be  fraternal  and  educational  advancement. 

Only  seven  nations  sent  representatives  to  this  first 
meeting,  viz:  Argentina,  Bolivia,  Brazil,  Chile,  Para- 
guay, Peru,  and  Uruguay. 

Institutions  in  other  countries  which  heartily  ap- 
proved the  proposition  but  failed  to  send  delegates 
were:  Costa  Rica,  Cuba,  Guatemala,  Honduras,  and 
the  United  States. 

The  meeting  was  pronounced  a  marked  success. 
Among  other  things  it  provided  and  paved  the  way  for 
the  second  conference  in  Buenos  Aires  in  July,  1910. 

The  nations  having  student  representatives  at  the 
second  congress  numbered  nine,  two  more  representa- 
tives than  those  participating  in  the  Montevideo  con- 
ference. They  were  as  follows:  Argentina,  Brazil, 
Chile,  Paraguay,  Peru,  Salvador,  the  United  States, 
Uruguay,  and  Venezuela.  The  United  States,  and 
possibly  some  of  the  others,  did  not  send  delegates 


132      CHANCES   IN   SOUTH  AND   CENTRAL  AMERICA 

direct  to  the  meeting,  but  nominated  as  such  certain 
individuals  who  happened  to  be  within  easy  reach  of 
Buenos  Aires  at  the  time. 

The  following  were  among  the  many  important 
questions  discussed:  League  of  American  Students; 
what  methods  should  be  employed  to  fulfill  the  demands 
of  civic  life;  formation  of  a  tribunal  for  cultivating  the 
character  of  students — methods  to  be  employed;  neces- 
sity of  elevating  the  moral  and  intellectual  level; 
how  can  students  be  linked  after  leaving  the  university; 
how  can  students  cooperate  in  university  discipline; 
literary  culture  an  indispensable  requisite  for  true 
scientific  culture;  mutual  assistance — what  methods 
should  be  employed;  specialization  in  studies;  inter- 
change of  professors  and  students. 

From  these  themes  an  idea  may  be  formed  of  the 
diversity  and  importance  of  the  questions  discussed, 
as  well  as  the  trend  of  Latin-American  student  life 
and  ambition. 


OPINIONS  OF  EMINENT  MEN 

President  Woodrow  Wilson,  in  an  address  at  Mobile, 
Alabama,  referring  to  closer  relations  with  the  peoples 
of  Latin  America,  said: 

The  dignity,  the  courage,  the  self-possession,  the  respect  of 
the  Latin-American  States,  their  achievements  in  the  face  of 
all  these  adverse  circumstances,  deserve  nothing  but  the  admi- 
ration and  app  ause  of  the  world.  They  have  had  harder 
bargains  driven  with  them  in  the  matter  of  loans  than  any  other 
people  in  the  world.  Interest  has  been  exacted  of  them  that 
was  not  exacted  of  anybody  else,  because  the  risk  was  said  to 
be  greater,  and  then  securities  were  taken  that  destroyed  the 

risks. 

*  *        *        *        + 

We  must  prove  ourselves  their  friends  and  champions,  upon 

terms  of  equality  and  honor. 

*  *        *        +        * 

So,  in  emphasizing  the  points  which  must  unite  us  in  sympa- 
thy and  in  spiritual  interest  with  the  Latin-American  people  we 
are  only  emphasizing  the  points  of  our  own  life,  and  we  should 
prove  ourselves  untrue  to  our  own  traditions  if  we  proved  our- 
selves untrue  friends  today. 

Former  President  Theodore  Roosevelt  in  his  address 
on  "American  Nationalism,"  delivered  a  few  months 
ago  in  Rio  de  Janeiro,  had,  among  other  things,  the 
following  to  say  relative  to  the  development  of  South 
America. 

I  believe  that,  just  as  in  the  nineteenth  century  the  most 
striking  growth  feature  of  the  civilized  world  was  what  took 
place  in  North  America,  so  in  the  twentieth  century  the  most 
permanently  important  feature  will  be  the  growth  and  develop- 

133 


134      CHANCES   IN   SOUTH  AND   CENTRAL  AMERICA 

ment  of  South  America.     I  believe  that  the  present  century  is 
the  century  ot  South  America. 

Hon.  John  Barrett,  the  Director  General  of  the  Pan 
American  Union,  at  Washington,  a  gentleman  who  has 
served  his  own  country  as  minister  to  Siam,  Argentina, 
Colombia,  and  Panama,  and  who  now  directs  the 
destiny  of  the  organization  maintained  by  twenty-one 
nations,  has  the  following  to  say  about  the  possibilities 
of  Latin-American  countries.  Mr.  Barrett's  books 
and  addresses  are  well-known  and  it  is  only  possible 
here  to  quote  a  few  paragraphs,  with  the  suggestion 
that  the  interested  reader  obtain  some  of  his  works  or 
publications  of  the  organization,  a  list  of  which  is  sent 
free  upon  request.  Here  are  some  of  his  remarks  re- 
cently made  to  a  body  of  young  Americans: 

The  greatest  change,  however,  that  is  coming  to  the  United 
States  and  to  civilization  in  general,  as  a  result  of  the  comple- 
tion of  the  Canal,  is  that  which  will  be  worked  out  by  the  sani- 
tation of  the  tropics.  The  example  that  our  medical  men  and 
engineers  have  set  at  Panama,  the  victory  thev  have  won  there 
over  nature,  is  going  to  change  the  entire  history  and  develop- 
ment of  vast  sections  of  the  tropics  not  only  of  America  but 
even  of  Asia.  Immeasureable  areas  which,  heretofore,  have 
been  regarded  as  being  useless  and  only  the  home  of  wild  ani- 
mals and  pestilence,  will  now  be  converted  into  healthful  and 
fertile  areas  where  can  live  prosperous  and  contented  people. 
Already  a  new  life  has  come  to  the  low  lying,  mosquito  and  pest 
ridden  countries  of  the  Carribbean  and  the  Gulf  of  Mexico, 
and  prosperity  and  health  have  taken  place  of  deprivation  and 
discontent.  There  is  no  limitation  to  the  changes  that  will 
come  in  the  future  under  this  new  influence. 

While  I  am  not  urging  the  young  men  of  the  United  States 
to  suddenly  emigrate  to  Latin  America,  and  they  should  not 
do  it  unless  they  have  abundance  of  means  or  a  position  before 


OPINIONS   OF  EMINENT  MEN  135 

they  start,  yet,  I  would  urge  upon  them  in  the  strongest  terms 
to  familiarize  themsevles  with  these  countries,  with  their 
history,  their  development,  with  their  present  conditions  and 
their  future  possibilities.  There  is  no  knowing  when  any  or 
all  of  you  may  be  called  upon  in  some  way  to  live  or  act  in  a 
manner  that  may  affect  the  relations  of  these  countries  and 
the  United  States.  Incidentally,  I  hope  that  all  of  you  who 
have  time  and  the  inclination  will  take  up  the  study  of  the 
languages  of  these  countries,  especially  the  Spanish  and  Portu- 
guese, so  that,  if  you  do  have  more  intimate  association  with 
them,  they  may  not  seem  like  strange  lands  and  their  peoples 
like  strange  peoples. 

The  Rt.  Honorable  James  Bryce,1  formerly  Ambassa- 
dor from  Great  Britain  to  the  United  States,  a  world- 
wide traveler  and  an  author  of  many  books,  in  speaking 
of  the  great  southern  continent  in  his  latest  work, 
South  America,  Observations  and  Impressions,2  has  the 
following  to  say: 

And  now  we  may  return  to  South  America,  the  only  continent 
containing  both  a  large  temperate  and  a  large  tropical  area 
capable  of  cultivation  which  still  remains  greatly  under- 
peopled.  It  is,  therefore,  the  chief  resource  to  which  the 
overpeopled  countries  may  look  as  providing  a  field  for  their 
emigration,  and  to  which  the  world  at  large  may  look  as  capable 
of  reinforcing  its  food  supply.  That  it  has  not  been  sooner 
occupied  is  due  partly  to  the  political  disorders  which  have 
given  it  a  bad  name,  partly  to  its  being  less  accessible  than 
North  America.  Both  these  adverse  conditions  no  longer 
apply  to  its  temperate  regions. 

Lewis  Nixon,  one  of  the  world's  great  shipbuilders,  in 
returning  from  a  visit  to  South  America,  said  in  a  news- 
paper interview : 

Recently  knighted. 

J  The  Macmillan  Company. 


136      CHANCES   IN   SOUTH   AND   CENTRAL   AMERICA 

For  the  next  thirty  years  South  America  will  be  the  theatre 
of  the  world's  most  active  exploitation,  just  as  South  Africa 
has  been  for  the  last  thirty  years.  It  behooves  us  to  remember 
this  and  benefit  thereby. 

From  a  scientific  point  of  view  Dr.  W.  J.  Holland, 
Director  of  the  Carnegie  Museum,  of  Pittsburgh,  gives 
some  interesting  observations  based  on  his  South 
American  travels,  in  which  he  says : 

From  a  broad  survey  of  human  conditions  which  exist  in 
South  America  there  is  a  great  deal  to  create  hopefulness  as 
to  the  future  of  these  nascent  nations.  There  is  in  them  enough 
genuine  virility  to  create  peoples  capable  of  performing  their 
part  with  distinction  upon  the  arena  of  the  world.  There  is 
intellectual  capacity,  there  is  no  lack  of  high  ideals  and  pure 
purposes,  there  is  physical  energy. 

*        *        *        *        * 

I  would  like  to  revisit  South  America  in  A.  D.  2012.  What  a 
garden  of  delight  the  land  will  then  present  to  view !  What  a 
noble  group  of  happy  and  prosperous  nations  will  then  exist, 
covering  the  continent,  the  wastes  redeemed,  the  spirit  of 
unhallowed  rivalry  and  jealousy  abolished,  and  the  blessings 
of  world-peace  prevailing! 

One  of  the  eminent  men  of  Central  America  is  Gen. 
Juan  Estrada,  former  President  of  Guatemala.  In  an 
interview  accorded  the  correspondent  of  the  New  York 
Sun  he  said : 

I  have  great  faith  in  the  future  of  Guatemala  and  all  the 
Central  American  countries.  I  believe  that  closer  relations, 
both  commercial  and  social,  should  be  established  between 
the  United  States  and  those  countries. 

In  my  opinion  the  best  way  to  do  this  is  to  educate  the 
growing  generation  in  a  feeling  of  friendliness  to  America  and 
the  American  people.  Inculcate  in  them  a  love  of  freedom  and 
modern  ideas.  Let  the  United  States  take  500  boys  from  each 


OPINIONS   OF   EMINENT  MEN  137 

of  the  countries,  including  Mexico,  Guatemala,  Honduras, 
Nicaragua,  Costa  Rica,  Salvador  and  Panama  and  give  them  a 
thoroughly  practical  education  fitting  them  for  the  battle  of 
life. 

Our  people  need  industrial  training,  and  I  know  of  no  better 
way  to  give  them  the  opportunity  of  learning  how  to  better 
themselves  than  to  send  them  to  the  United  States  to  be  edu- 
cated. The  good  for  the  countries  which  could  be  accomplished 
is  incalculable. 

The  United  States  should  be  the  guiding  spirit  in  the 
fraternal  relations  among  the  countries.  There  should  be  a 
well  intentioned  protectorate  maintained  by  the  United  States 
over  them,  so  that  revolutions  and  wars  may  be  a  thing  ot  the 
past  and  the  people  have  an  opportunity  to  work  and  develop 
the  riches  of  their  countries. 

Commercial  America"  the  organ  of  the  Philadelphia 
Commercial  Museums,  in  speaking  of  the  opportunities 
for  Americans  has  the  following  to  say : 

There  has  never  been  a  time  within  the  memory  of  men  now 
living  when  interest  in  foreign  trade  in  its  practical  aspects 
was  so  pronounced  as  it  is  todajr. 

*        *        *        *        * 

And  moreover,  as  years  count  and  contrasted  with  the  com- 
mercial powers  of  Europe,  the  United  States  is  still  in  swaddling 
clothes.  The  movement  for  a  real  foreign  trade  in  this  country 

covers  but  a  short  fifteen  or  twenty  years  at  the  most. 
***** 

The  suggestion  of  Commercial  America  to  its  readers  is  that 
these  influences  now  at  work  in  the  United  States  and  all  that 
they  imply  be  most  carefully  weighed  and  taken  advantage  of. 
They  should  be  helpful  to  the  buyer  abroad  as  to  the  seller  in 
this  country. 

The  San  Francisco  Chronicle,  in  commenting  on  the 
relations  of  the  Americas,  recently  made  some  very 
interesting  observations.  It  said: 


138      CHANCES   IN   SOUTH   AND   CENTRAL  AMERICA 

In  many  things,  certainly,  the  Latins  are  our  superiors — 
courtesy,  private  and  international,  among  others.  The  high- 
bred Latin  American  is  the  ideal  gentleman,  in  all  the  terms 
gentleman  implies — courtesy,  hospitality,  truthfulness,  hon- 
esty, courage. 

Their  ideals  are  noble.  They  think  less  of  money  than  we 
do;  refuse,  even  in  trade,  to  make  slaves  of  themselves  as  we  do; 
have  more  regard  for  the  amenities  of  life.  Taught  by  experi- 
ence, they  are  slow  to  give  confidence  but  once  given  it  is 

complete.    And  even  trade  is  a  good  deal  of  a  social  function. 

***** 

But  they  at  any  rate  know  us,  while  we  do  not  know  them. 
We  had  better  learn.  It  is  our  own  fault  if  English,  Germans, 
Italians  and  Spaniards  are  more  welcome  in  Latin  America 
than  we. 

And  materially  it  is  well  worth  our  while  to  know  the  Latin 
Americans  better.  Their  countries  are  great,  rich  and  unde- 
veloped. They  invite  capital  and  they  invite  colonists.  Their 
aggregate  trade  is  enormous  and  increasing.  We  buy  heavily 

from  them  and  are  in  a  position  to  supply  all  their  needs. 

*        *        *        *        * 

It  is  for  us  to  make  the  most  of  our  opportunities;  to  get  rid 
of  our  self-sufficiency  and  our  imagination  that  we  have  nothing 
to  learn;  to  inform  ourselves  of  the  wonderful  possibilities  of 
the  undeveloped  countries  to  the  south  of  us. 

No  one  of  course  can  foresee  to  what  extent  the 
Panama  Canal  will  alter  world  trade  and  traffic,  but 
economists  everywhere  are  making  countless  predic- 
tions. A  pamphlet  emanating  from  London,  entitled 
"The  Future  of  Tropical  America,"  makes  the  following 
observations : 

Here  are  a  number  of  countries,  among  the  richest  in  the 
world  in  mineral  wealth,  in  soil  and  in  natural  products,  which 
have  until  now  been  more  or  less  cut  off  from  the  markets  of 
civilization.  At  present  Asia  is  practically  closed  to  the  export 
of  these  countries — by  sea  by  the  long  and  dangerous  passage, 


OPINIONS  OF  EMINENT  MEN  139 

marked  by  thousands  of  shipwrecks,  around  Cape  Horn,  and  by 
land  by  the  difficulties  of  the  Andes,  stretching  their  vast  and 
rugged  bulk  from  Panama  on  the  north  to  the  extremity  of 
Patagonia  on  the  south.  For  the  future  the  easy  passage  of 
the  canal  will  be  theirs.  The  Eastern  and  Western  Hemi- 
spheres will  meet  at  their  doors,  and  bring  with  them  a  Pacto- 
lean  flood  that  will,  it  is  believed,  metaphorically,  turn  their 
soil  to  gold.  Upon  these  countries  the  eyes  of  the  keenest  busi- 
ness men  of  the  world  are  fixed,  and  it  is  here  that  the  next  few 
years  will  see  development  unparalleled  in  the  world's  progress. 
Everything  conspires  to  promote  their  development,  and  land 
which  hitherto  it  has  not  paid  to  cultivate  beyond  the  immedi- 
ate necessities  of  the  inhabitants,  will  appreciate  in  value  as 
markets  for  its  produce,  insatiable  and  lucrative,  are  opened 
within  easy  access. 


ACTIVITY  OF  CHAMBERS  OF  COMMERCE 

The  Chicago  Chamber  of  Commerce  was  the  first 
trade  organization  to  establish  a  permanent  commercial 
exhibit  in  South  America.  Two  years  ago  this  asso- 
ciation sent  a  representative  to  Buenos  Aires,  who  did 
much  to  advance  Chicago's  interests  in  Argentina 
markets.  The  climax  came  last  August  when  the 
fhst  office  was  converted  into  a  great  exhibit  of  Chigago 
manufactured  products.  The  opening  ceremonies  were 
attended  by  high  officials  of  the  Argentine  government 
and  the  American  minister  made  an  address;  thousands 
visited  the  exhibition  rooms  and  saw  the  great  variety 
of  products  from  Chicago  and  vicinity.  As  this  is  a 
permanent  feature  of  Chicago's  enterprise  the  financial 
outlay  will  doubtless  be  amply  reimbursed  by  the  boost 
to  the  products  on  exhibition  and  the  sales  resulting 
therefrom. 

The  Buenos  Aires  Standard,  one  of  the  leading  papers 
published  in  the  English  language  at  the  Argentine 
capital,  in  commenting  on  the  opening  of  these  sample 
rooms  has  the  following  to  say  about  the  progressive 
movement : 

Yesterday  afternoon  a  permanent  exhibition  of  goods  manu- 
factured by  some  members  of  the  Chicago  Chamber  of  Com- 
merce was  inaugurated  at  the  commodious  premises  on  Calle 
Belgrano. 

This  is  a  notable  exhibition,  inasmuch  as  it  is  the  first  time 
that  a  chamber  of  commerce  of  any  city  in  the  world  has  opened 
an  exhibition  in  a  foreign  country  on  their  own  responsibility 
and  maintained  it  at  their  own  expense. 


140 


CHAMBERS   OF   COMMERCE  141 

In  connection  with  the  Chicago  association  and  its 
activity  in  the  cultivation  of  the  South  American  field 
the  words  of  a  member  of  that  organization  are  pertinent 
to  some  of  the  opportunities.  Below  are  the  remarks  of 
Thos.  L.  Stitt,  of  the  foreign  trade  committee: 

There  has  been  established  twenty-five  agents  in  South 
America  as  a  result  of  the  exhibit  (Buenos  Aires),  or  as  the 
result  of  the  work  of  Mr.  Enright  for  the  association  there. 
And  there  are,  in  addition,  some  forty  concerns  who  are  doing 
business  in  South  America  as  a  result  of  the  work  of  this 
association. 

On  the  other  hand  there  are  over  thirty  firms  who  have 
never  replied  to  letters  sent  to  them  by  the  South  American 
office,  making  inquiries  for  goods  which  were  manufactured  by 
the  concerns  to  whom  the  inquiries  were  sent.  So  you  see  there 
is  a  great  deal  of  business  which  could  be  done,  but  which  is 
being  neglected. 

The  Boston  Chamber  of  Commerce  was  the  first 
trade  organization  to  send  a  large  delegation  of  its 
members  to  the  South  American  countries.  Forty 
representatives  of  leading  New  England  manufacturing 
houses  spent  three  months  in  visiting  seven  nations 
and  all  members  returned  greatly  impressed  with  the 
possibilities  of  larger  interchange  of  commodities 
between  North  and  South  America.  It  is  probable 
that  many  New  England  firms  will  "  follow  up"  the 
initiative  taken  by  the  Boston  Chamber,  and  this  fact 
should  open  a  number  of  positions  for  representatives, 
salesmen,  etc.,  who  are  qualified  to  treat  with  the  South 
American  business  man.  Commenting  on  the  results 
of  the  Boston  party  to  South  America,  Mr.  James 
Logan,  "Worcester's  best  beloved  citizen,"  who  accom- 
panied the  excursionists,  said: 


142      CHANCES    IN    SOUTH   AND    CENTRAL   AMERICA 

The  great  majority  of  the  clerks  and  men,  who  will  in  the 
coming  years  become  the  managers  and  buyers  for  commercial 
houses  in  South  America,  are  largely  foreigners,  English,  Scotch 
Germans,  etc.  The  North  American  is  really  not  in  the  race, 
and  you  ask  why?  The  answer  is  because  he  has  not  been 

crowded  out  of  his  own  country  as  these  other  men  have. 

*  *        *        *        * 

I  believe  there  is  in  South  America  a  field  of  opportunity 
and  promise,  but  you  must  till  the  field  yourself. 

*  *        *        *        * 

The  thing  that  impressed  me  was  our  provincialism — our 
localism  as  compared  with  the  world  knowledge  and  world 
vision,  which  some  of  the  men  we  talked  with  had. 

*  *        *        *        * 

Various  other  cities,  having  been  reminded  of  the 
possibilities  of  developing  their  foreign  trade  by  the 
activities  of  the  Chicago  and  Boston  Chambers,  are 
contemplating  similar  tours  to  Latin-American  coun- 
tries. A  delegation  from  the  Southern  Commercial 
Congress,  with  headquarters  in  Washington,  visited 
the  Panama  Canal  in  November,  and  this  organization 
contemplates  a  longer  tour  with  a  large  number  of  its 
members  within  a  few  months;  the  Cleveland,  Balti- 
more, Pittsburgh,  Louisville,  and  numerous  other  boards 
of  trade  have  Latin- American  tours  under  consideration, 
while  California  and  many  other  western  states  have 
recently  sent  commercial  scouts  to  Latin  America. 
Thus  it  will  be  seen  that  there  is  a  growing  tendency  of 
trade  organizations  all  over  the  country  to  get  into  closer 
touch  with  similar  organizations  and  business  men  from 
below  the  canal.  This  activity  naturally  will  develop 
more  intimate  business  relations  between  the  two 
Americas  and  in  so  doing  there  will  be  evolved  various 
opportunities  for  the  younger  man  of  commerce. 


CHAMBERS   OF   COMMERCE  143 

A  significant  fact  in  connection  with  the  trip  of  the 
Boston  gentlemen  to  South  America  was  the  presence 
of  two  students  from  the  public  schools,  whose  expenses 
were  borne  by  public  and  private  subscription.  The 
mayor  of  Boston  took  an  active  interest  in  raising  funds 
for  these  young  men  and  he  now  favors,  it  is  said,  the 
sending  of  ten  youths  annually  to  foreign  countries  to 
meet  and  mingle  with  students  and  thus  develop  a 
spirit  of  brotherhood  and  acquaintanceship  which  will 
tend  to  draw  them  together  socially  as  well  as  commer- 
cially as  they  grow  older  and  become  leaders  in  affairs  of 
the  country. 

The  idea  would  seem  to  be  most  practical  and  the 
first  steps  taken  by  the  city  of  Boston  are  being  followed 
by  other  American  cities. 


THE  FARQUHAR  AND  OTHER  SYNDICATES 

One  of  the  most  gigantic  schemes  for  commercial 
development  of  South  American  countries  is  the  combi- 
nation of  American  and  European  capital  known  as  the 
Farquhar  Syndicate,  of  which  Percival  Farquhar  of 
Pennsylvania,  is  the  leading  spirit. 

Briefly,  the  new  Farquhar  dominion  begins  with  the 
Brazilian  Railway  Company  and  its  consolidated  lines 
in  southern  Brazil  and  extends  through  Paraguay,  Uru- 
guay and  parts  of  Argentina;  across  the  plains  to  the 
Andes  and  over  their  heights  to  the  Chilean  port  of 
Antofagasta  and  thence  to  La  Paz,  Bolivia.  These 
railroad  combinations  might  be  termed  a  good  begin- 
ning; but  it  is  to  be  remembered  that  closely  related  to 
South  American  developments  are  those  of  Central 
America,  which  have  combined  all  of  the  railroads  of 
the  latter  Republics  into  one  system,  and  the  announce- 
ment that  construction  work  in  extending  present  lines 
is  to  be  actively  pushed.  The  Farquhar  Syndicate  is 
represented  as  being  interested  in  Central  American 
lines  as  well  as  in  those  of  Peru,  all  of  which  facts  tend 
to  cause  wonder  at  the  thought  of  future  development? 
backed  by  such  a  giant  financial  combination. 

The  present  railway  mileage  of  the  syndicate  is  said 
to  be  more  than  11,000  miles;  a  nucleus  with  which  to 
begin  greater  operations.  But  the  railway  interests 
are  even  dwarfed  when  it  is  known  that  included  in  this 
gigantic  combine  are  the  Sao  Paulo  Development  Com- 
pany; Bahia  Tramway,  Light  and  Power  Company; 

144 


FARQUHAR  AND  OTHER  SYNDICATES       145 

Compania  Navagacao  do  Amazonas ;  Thereza  Christina 
Line;  Southern  Brazil  Lumber  and  Colonization  Com- 
pany; Rio  de  Janeiro  Hotel  Company;  Amazon  Land 
and  Colonization  Company;  Bolivian  Development  and 
Colonization  Company;  Guapore  Rubber  Company; 
Port  of  Para"  Company;  and  numerous  other  interests. 

Several  years  ago  it  was  recorded  that  the  Farquhar- 
Pearson  enterprises  in  Mexico  and  South  America  car- 
ried a  combined  capital  of  $400,000,000.  Rapid  strides 
have  been  made  within  the  last  two  years,  and  with  the 
addition  of  the  new  Farquhar  companies  the  total 
capital  now  dominated  by  the  combined  companies  is 
given  as  more  than  half  a  billion  dollars. 

The  development  that  should  follow  the  further  con- 
struction of  railroads,  when  these  interests  are  in  thor- 
ough accord  with  the  land  and  colonization  schemes, 
promises  a  growth  of  which  we  can  scarcely  conceive. 
There  will  be  an  interchange  of  traffic  materially  adding 
to  the  earnings  of  the  various  units,  and  international 
trade  will  accordingly  become  more  and  more  important. 

Another  giant  financial  combination,  known  as  the 
Guggenheim  Syndicate  has  acquired  vast  areas  of 
copper  mining  lands  in  Chile ;  and,  according  to  a  state- 
ment recently  made  public,  more  than  $100,000,000 
have  been  used  for  the  purpose  of  developing  mines 
owned  by  this  company. 

Closely  akin  to  the  Guggenheim  enterprise  are  those 
dominated  by  Schwab,  the  American  steel  magnate. 
Millions  of  dollars,  according  to  trustworthy  sources, 
are  to  be  invested  in  Chilean  iron  ore  properties.  The 
Grace  Company  with  its  offices  and  stores  already 
firmly  established  from  Panama  to  southern  Chile, 


146      CHANCES   IN    SOUTH   AND   CENTRAL   AMERICA 

with  its  own  fleet  of  vessels  to  carry  goods  and  products, 
foreshadows  great  commercial  activity,  as  do  many 
other  important  interests  already  active  in  the  west 
coast  countries. 

The  United  States  Steel  Products  Company,  of  New 
York,  is  still  another  American  concern  that  is  actively 
developing  its  Latin- American  business.  This  company 
acts  as  exporters  of  products  of  the  Carnegie  Steel 
Company,  Illinois  Steel  Company  American  Steel  and 
Wire  Company,  American  Bridge  Company,  Lorain 
Steel  Company,  National  Tube  Company,  Shelby 
Steel  Tube  Company,  American  Sheet  &  Tin  Plate 
Company,  Tennessee  Coal,  Iron  &  Railroad  Company. 

The  great  variety  of  constructive  materials  handled 
by  the  first  mentioned  company  is,  therefore,  very 
extensive,  and  it  is  necessary  to  maintain  branch  houses 
in  Lima,  Valparaiso,  Sao  Paulo,  Rio  de  Janeiro,  Buenos 
Aires,  Mexico  City,  etc.,  while  the  general  South 
American  representative  of  the  company  travels  about 
the  continent  ever  and  alwavs  in  search  of  business. 


UNITING  THE  AMERICAS  BY  RAIL1 

Thirty-five  years  ago  with  bells  ringing  and  bands 
playing  an  expedition  sailed  out  of  the  harbor  of  Phila- 
delphia bound  for  tropical  jungles.  Fifty  American 
engineers  and  two  hundred  laborers  were  going  to  a 
foreign  land  to  build  a  railroad. 

Englishmen  had  previously  tried  to  construct  the 
same  road  but  the  maladies  of  the  tropics  proved  too 
deadly,  even  for  those  heroic  colonizers  and  builders, 
and  scarcely  a  man  was  left  to  tell  the  story  of  disaster. 
In  Parliament  it  was  stated: 

The  country  is  a  charnel-house,  the  men  died  off  like  flies, 
the  road  ran  through  an  inhospitable  wilderness  and  that  with 
the  command  of  all  the  capital  in  the  world  and  half  its  popu- 
lation it  would  be  impossible  to  build  the  road. 

Disaster  also  followed  the  American  expedition;  and 
of  a  total  of  940  persons  who  eventually  went  to  the 
sickly  field  of  labor  few  survived  the  ravages  of  disease. 

Thirty  years  passed;  and  railway  building  on  the 
upper  Amazon  had  long  been  abandoned  and  forgotten. 
But  the  progress  of  commerce  cannot  be  forever 
checked!  The  locomotive  that  had  lain  thirty-four 
years  in  the  Brazilian  jungle  was  reclaimed;  its  whistle 
again  awoke  the  solitudes,  its  bell  rang,  and  on  October 
7,  1912,  the  inaugural  party  rode  triumphantly  behind 
this  relic  of  the  past  over  the  Mamore-Madeira  Railway, 
now  212  miles  long. 

1  Extracts  from  an  article  written  by  the  author  for  Nat. 
Waterways  Magazine. 

147 


148      CHANCES   IN   SOUTH   AND   CENTRAL  AMERICA 

The  "impossible  to  build"  barrier  has  been  banished 
from  the  category  of  enterprise;  conquests  of  tropics 
and  mountains  have  reached  such  wonderful  stages  that 

man  marvels  ever  and  anew  at  his  works. 

***** 

Newspapers  and  magazines  in  all  languages  are 
telling  what  the  Panama  Canal  holds  in  store  for  the 
maritime  nations  of  the  world,  and  especially  how  Saxon 
and  Latin  are  to  be  drawn  into  closer  accord.  Facilities 
innumerable  for  commercial  and  industrial  intercourse 
are  dawning  with  the  consummation  of  the  great  canal. 

What  part  is  the  Pan  American  Railway  to  play  in  the 
development  of  nations  and  what  is  the  stage  of  progress 
of  the  undertaking? 

Today  the  world  demands  rapid  transportation,  and 
the  agency  that  can  supply  the  quickest  service,  other 
things  being  equal,  is  certain  to  be  accorded  a  most 
respectful  hearing.  At  present  more  than  three  weeks 
must  elapse  before  the  ship  from  New  York  sights  the 
wireless  station  on  the  Cerro  at  Montevideo  and  turns 
her  prow  into  muddy  river  waters  for  Buenos  Aires. 
6,000  miles  of  water  lie  between  the  metropolis  of  the 
north  and  the  metropolis  of  the  south.  Trains  on  the 
proposed  intercontinental  line  running  at  an  average 
speed  of  30  miles  per  hour  would  cover  the  distance  of 
10,000  miles  between  New  York  and  Buenos  Aires  in 
two  weeks,  thereby  cutting  a  whole  week  from  the 
average  steamer's  time.  This  briefly  is  the  theory;  its 
practical  operation  must  be  worked  out  as  other  great 
transportation  problems  have  been  done. 

The  first  tangible  form  of  a  railway  uniting  the  three 
Americas  was  the  agitation  in  1892-96  when  engineers 


UNITING   THE   AMERICAS    BY   RAIL  149 

made  a  preliminary  survey  of  a  trans-continental  route. 
These  officers  were  in  the  field  as  a  result  of  the  recom- 
mendations of  the  First  International  Conference  of  the 
American  States,  held  in  Washington  1889-90.  For 
four  years  engineers  were  engaged  in  studies  and  exam- 
inations of  the  most  feasible  routes  through  the  various 
countries.  Their  arduous  work  and  the  results  of  their 
investigations  were  made  the  basis  upon  which  much 
active  construction  has  been  done. 

Closely  following  the  engineers  was  the  Pan  American 
Railway  Commissioner,  Mr.  Charles  M.  Pepper,  formerly 
of  the  Department  of  State  at  Washington.  Mr.  Pep- 
per in  his  official  capacity  visited  fourteen  of  the  Latin 
countries  and  presented  at  capital  and  commercial  center 
the  advantages  of  stimulating  railway  construction  in 
accordance  with  the  proposed  intercontinental  system. 
Everywhere  the  American  commissioner  was  welcomed 
and  his  mission  given  the  widest  publicity  and  support. 
Since  that  time  much  progress  in  railway  construction 

has  been  made  as  we  shall  see  in  the  story  that  follows. 
»        *        *        *        • 

What  does  the  extension  of  the  Pan-American  railway 
mean  to  the  United  States?  Commercially,  it  argues 
that  there  are  important  markets  opening  for  American 
products.  Walk  through  some  of  our  great  locomotive 
works  and  you  will  see  many  engines  being  built  for 
Latin- American  roads;  ride  over  the  famous  Cerro  de 
Pasco  Railway  in  Peru  and  one  will  note  that  much  of 
the  rolling  stock,  as  well  as  many  bridges  were  brought 
from  the  United  States;  the  same  may  be  said  of  the 
Guayaquil  and  Quito  road;  the  extension  of  the  Guate- 
malan Central  was  made  with  materials  manufactured 


0      CHANCES   IN   SOUTH   AND   CENTRAL  AMERICA 

in  the  United  States;  Costa  Rica's  Northern  Railroad 
also  bought  its  materials  in  the  United  States;  Bolivia's 
city  of  fabled  wealth,  Potosi,  has  recently  given  St. 
Louis  orders  for  a  complete  street  railway  system;  and 
75  steel  freight  cars  have  just  left  New  York  for  service 
on  the  Central  Railway  of  Peru. 

Three  years  ago  when  the  Fourth  Pan  American 
Conference  met  in  Buenos  Aires  the  report  of  the  special 
committee  to  the  Conference  showed  that  of  the  total 
distance  of  10,116  miles  from  New  York  to  Buenos 
Aires,  there  remained  to  be  constructed  3672  miles. 
From  Panama  to  Buenos  Aires  over  the  proposed  route 
the  distance  is  5064  miles;  the  rail  and  water  lines 
already  in  operation  at  the  time  mentioned  amounted 
to  2067  miles,  which  left  an  unconstructed  distance  of 
2997  miles. 

Since  the  Buenos  Aires  meeting  there  has  been  con- 
siderable progress  in  South  American  railway  construc- 
tion and  some  of  these  lines  will  form  links  in  the  Pan 
American  system.  The  177  miles  that  separated  the 
Bolivian  roads  from  those  of  Argentina  at  La  Quiaca 
have  been  lessened  to  something  like  140  miles  or  even  a 
shorter  distance.  The  1114  miles  through  Argentina 
to  Buenos  Aires  are  already  in  operation  and  over  these 
rails  some  of  the  best  trains  in  the  Republic  are  now 
running  on  regular  schedules.  In  other  words  the 
traveler  today  may  proceed  by  rail  from  Buenos  Aires 
to  Mollendo  on  the  Peruvian  coast  or  continue  as  far 
north  from  Titicaca  as  Cuzco  excepting  the  140  mile 
gap  between  La  Quiaca  and  the  Bolivian  roads,  utilizing 
the  steamer  service  across  Titicaca,  125  miles. 


UNITING   THE   AMERICAS   BY   RAIL  151 

Again  if  the  traveler  so  desires  he  may  travel  today 
by  rail  from  Cuzco,  Peru  (steamer  across  Titicaca),  via 
Oruro,  Bolivia,  Antofagasta,  Chile,  Santiago,  to  Port 
Montt,  in  the  far  south  of  Chile;  the  gaps  between 
Coquimbo  and  Antofagasta  having  been  completed. 
This  distance  is  about  2000  miles. 

In  Central  America  at  last  reports  only  about  two 
miles  remained  to  be  constructed  before  the  Mexican 
roads  will  tap  those  of  Guatemala.  The  people  of 
Panama  are  anxious  to  build  a  road  275  miles  northward 
to  David;  surveys  have  been  made  and  active  construc- 
tion work  is  progressing.  In  other  sections  of  Central 
America  some  railway  building  has  extended  the  Pan 
American  system. 

In  conclusion,  it  may  be  said  that  the  difference  in 
gauges  will  be  a  great  hindrance  to  practical  utility  of 
the  Pan  American  system,  which  is  a  fact.  But  when 
it  is  remembered  that  many  of  the  narrow  guage  roads 
are  at  present  putting  down  a  third  rail  on  the  same  ties 
and  planning  to  purchase  new  rolling  stock  of  the  stand- 
ard guage  pattern  the  task  of  standardizing  trackage  is 
not  so  enormous  as  might  be  imagined.  As  an  example 
of  this  enterprise,  we  have  the  La  Paz  to  Antofagasta 
line,  which  is  narrow  gauge  for  630  miles,  while  the 
remaining  100  miles  is  standard.  The  former  is  to  be 
given  a  third  rail;  and  old  cars  will  be  used  until  worn 
out,  while  new  purchases  of  rolling  stock  will  be  of 
standard  gauge  and  pattern. 


MOTOR  TRANSPORTATION1 

FIRST  AID   TO   THE   RAILWAY 

Eight  years  ago,  when  the  writer  arrived  in  Mexico  City,  he 
found  it  almost  impossible  to  cross  a  certain  street,  necessary 
to  reach  his  hotel.  Hundreds  of  splendid  carriages  filled  with 
Mexican  aristocracy  completely  blocked  the  course — it  was  the 
Sunday  custom  or  fad  to  drive  up  and  down  famous  Calle  San 
Francisco.  Not  one  automobile  was  to  be  seen.  Today  the 
municipal  records  show  that  Mexico  City  alone  has  more  than 
2000  automobiles.  The  increase  in  other  Latin  countries  has 
been  much  more  rapid.  In  1908  it  was  difficult  to  find  a  motor 
car  for  hire  in  Rio  de  Janeiro,  there  being  only  about  a  dozen 
machines  in  the  city.  By  September,  1911.  the  number  had 
risen  to  nearly  1100;  and  at  present  there  are  more  than  3000 
machines  in  use  in  the  Federal  District,  and  the  President  of  the 
Republic  rides  in  a  machine  of  North  American  manufacture. 

Five  years  ago  comparatively  few  automobiles  were  to  be 
seen  on  Avenida  Mayo,the  great  thoroughfare  in  wealthy  Buenos 
Aires,  but  the  number  of  machines  has  rapidly  increased.  In 
1910,  1581  automobiles  were  imported  into  Argentina;  in  1911 
the  number  imported  reached  2461 ;  and  at  present  about  5000 
cars  are  credited  to  the  capital  city  and  another  5000  to  the 
country  at  large.  In  1911,  Uruguay  had  1  motor  vehicle  to 
every  2000  inhabitants,  or  a  total  of  576  machines,  and  authori- 
ties estimate  that  this  number  will  be  quadrupled  within  a  few 
years.  Montevideo  now  has  over  1300  cars.  In  the  mountain 
Republics  of  South  America  the  automobile  is  also  winning 
favor,  notwithstanding  the  difficulties  that  prevent  its  very 
extensive  use.  Chile  is  credited  with  150  machines,  principally 
in  Santiago  and  Valparaiso ;  Peru  has  something  like  100,  and  a 
number  of  these  are  fitted  with  tires  which  permit  the  use  of  the 

1  Extract  from  an  article  by  the  author  in  the  Bulletin  of 
the  Pan-American  Union. 

152 


MOTOR  TRANSPORTATION  153 

railway,  and  it  is  not  uncommon  to  see  some  machines  running 
along  the  tracks  of  the  railways;  in  Ecudaor  in  1912  the  number 
of  motor  vehicles  increased  from  29  to  47;  all  of  the  other  coun- 
tries of  South  America  have  a  few  machines  save  Paraguay, 

where  there  has  been  no  effort  to  introduce  them. 

*        *        *        *        * 

Probably  no  section  of  the  world  furnishes  such  a  vast  area 
which,  broadly  speaking,  is  capable  of  creating  a  business  for 
mechanical  transportation  as  do  the  combined  countries  of 
Argentina,  Brazil,  and  Uruguay.  Nature  has  made  them  with 
fewer  obstacles  to  be  overcome  in  the  construction  of  railways, 
and  these  means  of  communication  have  reached  such  an 
advanced  stage  that  the  three  countries  have  a  combined  mile- 
age of  35,800  miles.  At  first  thought  it  may  be  asked  what 
connection  has  the  railway  with  the  introduction  of  the  auto- 
mobile, but  a  moment's  reflection  will  show  the  intimate  rela- 
tionship of  the  two  factors  in  commercial  upbuilding. 

The  railways  are  being  pushed  toward  the  interior  of  the 
continent ;  and  we  who  have  ridden  over  the  rails  have  on  several 
occasions  been  surprised  to  find  the  motar  car  covered  with 
mud  and  dust  and  which  had  contested  its  way  to  the  railroad 
with  its  burden  of  products  of  the  land.  On  the  vast  pampas  of 
Argentina  or  far  back  on  the  coffee  plantations  of  Brazil  or  on 
the  cattle  ranges  of  Uruguay  the  ancient  car  with  its  two  great 
wheels  a  dozen  feet  high  drawn  by  a  string  of  many  oxen,  are 
familiar  sights.  It  has  been  said  that  the  absence  of  well- 
defined  roads  prevented  the  use  of  even  the  ordinary  four  wheeled 
wagon;  however,  the  motor  truck  has  made  its  appearance  in 
these  sections  and  its  more  general  use  is  only  a  question  of 
time. 

The  three  countries  above  mentioned  being  primarily  agri- 
cultural regions  ot  great  fertility  their  respective  Governments 
are  using  strong  endeavors  to  develop  the  remotest  sections  of 
these  fruitful  but  at  present  unprofitable  lands.  In  this  devel- 
opment the  motor  car  enters  a  most  important  plea — it  offers 
cheaper  services  in  transporting  the  products  to  the  railroads, 
and  this  problem  has  been  one  of  great  expense  for  many  years. 
The  motor  car  helps  to  solve  the  question.  In  1911  Argentina 


154      CHANCES   IN   SOUTH   AND   CENTRAL  AMERICA 

marketed  $314,956,612  worth  of  products;  Brazil,  $325,271,614; 
Uruguay,  $46,318,036;  the  total  products  of  the  three  countries 
are  thus  seen  to  be  enormous,  and  when  it  is  remembered  that  a 
large  percentage  of  the  whole  was  carried  to  market  in  primitive 
conveyances  the  transportation  question  becomes  paramount. 
Other  than  live  animals,  which  were  largely  driven  across 
country  to  the  nearest  railway  station,  the  remaining  products 
were  hauled  or  car-red.  *  *  *  * 

Here  the  subject  of  public  roads  or  highways  comes  in  for 
attention.  These  three  countries  are  spending  large  sums  of 
money  in  building  roads.  All  of  the  large  cities  are  rapidly 
extending  streets  to  suburban  towns;  at  Rio  de  Janeiro  the 
Government  has  recently  authorized  the  construction  of  a 
splendid  motor  way  50  miles  to  Petropolis;  in  thereat  coffee 
producing  State  of  Sao  Paulo  concessions  have  been  granted 
for  various  highway  improvements.  One  of  these  provides  for  a 
splendid  road  from  the  port  city  of  Santos  to  Sao  Paulo,  a 
distance  of  47  miles,  and  the  concessionaries  are  required  to 
construct  two  macadamized  ways  13  feet  wide,  the  whole  to 
be  completed  within  two  years.  One  of  the  roads  is  to  be 
reserved  exclusively  for  motor  vehicles.  Another  concession 
provides  for  the  linking  of  Piracicaba  and  Limeira,  two  cities 
still  farther  inland,  by  a  highway  suitable  for  the  operation  of 
motor  vehicles.  A  thousand  miles  up  the  Amazon  at  Manaos 
there  are  more  than  80  automobiles,  and  some  of  them  have 
indeed  penetrated  the  jungle  to  bring  out  the  rubber.  In 
Buenos  Aires  the  touring  club  has  been  the  sponsor  for  the 
building  of  more  than  60  miles  of  good  road;  and  estimates  for 
new  highways  have  just  been  completed  which  call  for  an 
expenditure  of  $22,000,000.  In  Uruguay  recent  reliability 
motor  races,  covering  runs  to  many  interior  cities  and  towns, 
have  called  renewed  attention  to  the  necessity  for  improving 
the  highways.  Montevideo  is  soon  to  be  connected  with 
Colonia,  opposite  Buenos  Aires,  by  a  splendid  roadway,  the 
studies  for  which  have  just  been  completed  by  the  department 
of  public  works  of  Uruguay.  This  road  will  be  one  of  the  first 
results  of  the  good-roads  movement,  which  it  is  believed  will 


MOTOR   TRANSPORTATION  155 

aid  materially  in  bettering  the  highways  throughout  the 
country. 

A  glance  at  statistics  of  exports  of  automobiles  from  the 
United  States  to  South  American  countries  during  the  nine 
months  ending  March  31,  1913,  shows  the  following  figures: 
Number  of  passenger  cars,  2117;  number  of  commercial 
machines,  78. 

Every  country  of  South  America,  excepting  Paraguay,  par- 
ticipated in  the  purchase  of  these  American-made  automobiles ; 
Brazil  1023,  Argentina  1097,  and  Uruguay  216,  respectively, 
heading  the  list,  while  Bolivia,  the  mountainous  country  in 
the  heart  of  the  continent,  bought  2  machines.  Colombia  pur- 
chased 113  pleasure  cars  and  3  commercial  trucks;  Venezuela, 
127  pleasure  and  commercial  cars;  Ecuador,  75,  all  pleasure  ma- 
chines; Chile  and  Peru,  78  and  70,  respectively,  all  of  which  were 
primarily  for  pleasure. 

Thus,  it  will  be  seen  that  the  automobile  of  American  manu- 
facture is  rapidly  making  its  way  into  the  pleasures  and  diver- 
sions of  the  South  Americans;  while  the  commercial  car,  not 
yet  so  popular  as  the  other,  is  still  gaming  favor,  and  as  the 
great  commercial  enterprises  all  over  the  continent  grow  and 
increase  in  prosperity  the  American  automobile  will  be  found 
ever  in  the  forefront  in  constantly  increasing  numbers. 


COMMERCIAL  RESUME 

OUR   TRADE   WITH   LATIN   AMERICA 

The  United  States  Department  of  Commerce  recently 
made  public  the  following  statement,  which  shows  the 
enormous  growth  of  commercial  relations  between  the 
Americas : 

Exports  from  the  United  States  to  Latin  America  in  the 
tiscal  year  1913  amounted  to  a  million  dollars  for  every  business 
day  in  the  year  and  show  an  increase  of  nearly  200  per  cent 
since  1900.  In  the  term  "Latin  America"  are  included  South 
America  (except  the  Guianas),  Central  American  Republics, 
Mexico,  Cuba,  Haiti,  and  Santo  Domingo.  The  value  of  exports 
from  the  United  States  to  these  countries  in  the  fiscal  year  1913 
was  321  million  dollars  against  108  million  in  1900,  an  increase 
of  197  per  cent,  while  the  exports  to  other  parts  of  the  world 
were  increasing  but  67  per  cent. 

The  most  rapid  gains  in  the  exports  to  Latin-American 
countries  during  the  period  under  consideration  occurred  in 
the  trade  with  Argentina  and  Brazil.  The  value  of  merchan- 
dise exported  to  Argentina  in  1900  was  11  \  million  dollars,  and 
in  1913,  over  52|  million;  to  Brazil,  in  1900,  l\\  million  dollars, 
and  in  1913,  42f  million.  Cuba  showed  a  marked  gain,  though 
not  so  large  a  percentage  of  gain  as  shown  in  the  trade  with 
Brazil,  the  exports  to  that  island  in  1900  having  been  26£ 
million  dollars,  and  in  1913,  70£  million,  while  to  Mexico  the 
exports  of  1900  were  35  million  dollars,  and  in  1913, 54^  million. 
Exports  to  Uruguay  show  a  very  large  percentage  of  gain,  the 
value  of  merchandise  sent  to  that  country  in  1900  having  been 
less  than  2  million  dollars,  and  in  1913, 1\  million.  To  Peru  the 
exports  increased  from  If  million  in  1900  to  7£  million  in  1913; 
to  Chile,  in  1900,  31  million,  in  1913,  16  million  to  Colombia,  in 
1900,  2f  million,  and  in  1913,  7^  million;  to  Venezuela,  in  1900, 
2$  million,  and  in  1913,  5f  million;  to  Ecuador,  in  1900,  1J 

156 


COMMERCIAL  RESUM^  157 

million,  and  in  1913,  2£  million.  To  Haiti  the  exports  in- 
creased from  less  than  3  million  in  1900  to  6f  million  in  1913, 
and  those  to  Santo  Domingo  from  1£  million  in  1900  to  5J 
million  in  1913. 

An  examination  of  the  official  figures  of  the  countries  in  ques- 
tion, just  completed  by  the  Bureau  of  Foreign  and  Domestic 
Commerce,  Department  of  Commerce,  shows  that  23  per  cent  of 
their  imports,  n  the  latest  year  for  which  their  official  statistics 
are  available  (in  most  cases  1912),  were  drawn  from  the  United 
States.  The  Latin-American  countries  in  which  imports  from 
the  United  States  formed  a  distinctly  larger  percentage  of  the 
total  imports  in  1912  than  in  1905  are  Brazil,  Chile,  Peru, 
Bolivia,  and  Cuba.  Cuba,  Mexico,  Haiti,  and  Santo  Domingo 
obtain  from  the  United  States  over  one-half  of  their  respective 
imports;  Central  America,  as  a  whole,  about  50  per  cent;  Vene- 
zuela, over  30  per  cent;  Colombia  and  Ecuador,  each  about  28 
per  cent;  Paraguay,  2£  per  cent;  and  the  remaining  countries 
between  10  and  20  per  cent. 

Imports  into  the  United  States  from  Latin-America  show 
also  large  gains  during  the  period  since  1900,  the  total  in  1913 
having  been  441  million  dollars,  against  162  million  in  1900. 
The  percentage  of  gain  in  imports  from  those  countries  was 
thus  171  per  cent,  against  an  increase  of  197  per  cent  in  exports 
from  the  United  States  thereto. 

Manufactures  from  the  bulk  of  the  exports  to  the  countries 
in  question,  and  crude  foodstuffs  and  manufacturers'  materials 
the  bulk  of  the  imports  from  them.  Cotton  goods,  flour,  manu- 
factures of  iron  and  steel,  mineral  oils,  automobiles,  railway 
cars,  furniture,  lumber,  agricultural  implements,  leather  and 
leather  goods,  are  the  principal  articles  exported  to  the  area  in 
question;  while  sugar,  coffee,  cacao,  tobacco,  india  rubber, 
wool,  nitrate  of  soda,  copper,  hides,  and  sisal  are  the  principal 
articles  imported  therefrom. 


THE  PAN-AMERICAN  UNION 

The  greatest  official  fount  of  knowledge  of  Latin- 
American  affairs  is  the  organization  at  Washington, 
known  as  the  Pan-American  Union.  Its  plan  and 
purpose  are  described  as  follows : 

The  Pan-American  Union  is  an  international  organization 
and  office  maintained  by  the  twenty-one  American  republics, 
as  follows:  Argentina,  Bolivia,  Brazil,  Chile,  Colombia,  Costa 
Rica,  Cuba,  Dominican  Republic,  Ecuador,  Guatemala,  Haiti, 
Honduras,  Mexico,  Nicaragua,  Panama,  Paraguay,  Peru,  Sal- 
vador, Un:ted  States,  Uruguay,  and  Venezuela.  It  is  devoted 
to  the  development  and  advancement  of  commerce,  friendly 
intercourse,  and  good  understanding  among  these  countries. 
It  is  supported  by  quotas  contributed  by  each  country,  based 
upon  the  population.  Its  affairs  are  administered  by  a  Director 
General  and  Assistant  Director,  elected  by  and  responsible  to 
a  Governing  Board,  which  is  composed  of  the  Secretary  of 
State  of  the  United  States  and  the  diplomatic  representatives 
in  Washington  of  the  other  American  governments.  These  two 
executive  officers  are  assisted  by  a  staff  of  international  experts, 
statisticians,  commercial  specialists,  editors,  translators,  com- 
pilers, librarians,  clerks  and  stenographers. 

For  the  commercial  purposes  the  Union  is  in  touch,  in  both 
North  and  South  America  with  government  officials,  commercial 
organizations,  manufacturers,  merchants,  exporters  and 
importers,  and  shipping  interests,  doing  all  it  can  to  facilitate 
the  building  up  of  trade  among  the  American  nations.  Along 
general  lines  it  is  in  touch  with  men  in  public  life,  editors  news- 
paper men,  college  presidents,  professors  and  students,  scien- 
tists and  travelers,  providing  them  with  information  which 
will  increase  their  interest  in  and  their  knowledge  of  the  twenty- 
one  American  nations. 

It  publishes  an  illustrated  monthly  Bulletin  which  is  in 
great  demand  in  all  parts  of  the  world  as  a  carefully  edited  and 

15$ 


PAN-AMERICAN   UNION  15ft 

attractive  record  of  the  present  conditions,  general  progress, 
commerce,  laws,  new  enterprises,  and  particular  development 
of  each  republic.  It  can  be  obtained  on  the  payment  ot  a  small 
subscription  fee.  The  Union  also  publishes  numerous  hand- 
books, pamphlets,  special  reports,  and  maps.  Many  of  these 
are  free,  while  others  are  distributed  upon  a  cost  basis. 

The  Columbus  Memorial  Library,  which  has  nearly  30,000 
volumes,  covering  official  records,  history,  travel,  narrative, 
description,  statistics,  etc.,  relating  to  all  the  American  repub- 
lics, can  be  consulted  without  charge  by  responsible  persons. 

The  Union  is  the  office  or  agency,  and  also  the  custodian  of 
the  archives,  of  the  International  American  Conferences,  held 
at  periods  approximately  of  five  or  six  years.  It  has  charge  of 
the  correspondence  relating  thereto,  the  preparation  of  pro- 
grams, and  the  issuance  of  calls  for  new  Conferences. 

The  correspondence  of  the  Union  now  averages  many  thou- 
sands of  letters  a  month,  not  only  with  all  parts  of  the  Western 
Hemisphere  but  with  every  section  of  the  world,  and  is  an 
excellent  barometer  of  the  growing  interest  in  Pan-American 
affairs. 

The  structure  and  grounds  represent  an  investment  of 
$1,100,000,  of  which  the  American  republics  contributed 
$250,000  and  Mr.  Andrew  Carnegie  $850,000.  The  building  is 
constructed  largely  of  marble. 

OTHER   SOURCES   OF   INFORMATION 

The  Latin-American  diplomats  at  Washington,  com- 
posed of  an  ambassador  or  minister  from  each  of  the 
twenty  republics,  are  not  supposed  to  take  up  minor 
commercial  matters,  their  duties  being  more  of  a  diplo- 
matic than  a  commercial  nature.  Many  of  these  rep- 
resentatives are,  however,  very  approachable  gentlemen, 
and  doubtless  would  not  decline  to  meet  an  earnest 
young  man  intent  on  some  business  matter. 

Every  Latin-American  country  of  course,  maintains 
a  consulate-general  in  New  York  City.  These  repre- 


160      CHANCES   IN   SOUTH   AND   CENTRAL   AMERICA 

sentatives  are  in  the  American  metropolis  for  the  general 
purpose  of  watching  the  commercial  trend  of  affairs  and 
of  promoting  their  country's  interests,  especially  along 
trading  lines.  A  letter  to  any  consul  if  it  relates  to 
legitimate  business  matters,  would  doubtless  receive 
prompt  attention;  but  it  must  be  remembered  that  these 
public  officials  usually  have  plenty  of  work  and  they 
are  not  supposed  to  go  into  details  about  the  countless 
trivial  matters  that  thoughtless  people  present. 

The  consulates  are  open  to  callers  during  business 
hours  of  the  day  and  if  one  has  business  to  transact  or 
wishes  to  consult  the  consul  of  a  country  before  leaving 
the  United  States  he  can  easily  do  so. 

In  addition  to  the  consulates-general  in  New  York 
most  Latin-American  countries  have  consuls  stationed 
in  the  larger  American  cities  These  officials  are  under 
the  supervision  of  the  New  York  official;  a  large  number 
of  the  former  are  American  citizens  who  perform  their 
duties  without  remuneration  or  possibly  receive  a  small 
salary  or  fees.  These  gentlemen  usually  keep  on  hand  a 
supply  of  literature  of  the  country  represented  and  a 
person  applying  to  any  of  them  may  secure  the  desired 
information. 

The  "Daily"  of  the  Bureau  of  Foreign  and  Domestic 
Commerce  of  the  Department  of  Commerce,  known 
officially  as  the  Daily  Consular  and  Trade  Reports, 
will  be  found  most  interesting  by  all  who  are  contem- 
plating business  or  work  in  foreign  fields.  The  principal 
contributors  to  this  little  journal  are  the  American 
consuls  in  all  sections  of  the  world,  and  their  reports 
being  a  part  of  their  official  duty,  are  very  reliable. 
Although  a  comparatively  new  venture  this  service  has 


PAN-AMERICAN   UNION  161 

already  been  the  means  of  extending  American  trade 
in  foreign  lands.  Almost  every  day  it  carries  news 
relative  to  Latin-American  development,  as  well  as  in 
other  countries,  while  the  opportunity  column  has 
proved  especially  useful  to  business  men. 

These  reports  may  be  seen  at  libraries  and  reading 
rooms  generally  or  at  many  of  the  great  business  houses 
all  over  the  country,  and  while  the  matter  is  more  suit- 
able for  manufacturers  and  capitalists  the  young 
man  will  find  in  them  much  that  is  of  value  to  him 
individually. 


CONCLUSION 

In  a  little  book  of  this  kind  many  interesting  facts 
must  be  omitted.  Stories  of  success  and  of  failure  are 
legion,  but  they  are  too  lengthy  to  be  related  herein; 
it  has  been  the  author's  endeavor  merely  to  indicate 
a  line  of  work,  suggesting  that  the  various  fields  be 
further  explored  and  investigated  by  the  interested 
person. 

Perhaps  many  of  these  suggested  opportunities 
appear  visionary  to  the  reader;  indeed,  some  of  them 
are  remote  chances  when  immediate  results  are  involved. 
They  may  be  visionary;  but  commerce  today  is  so 
wonderful  that  the  vision  of  today  becomes  the  accom- 
plished fact  tomorrow.  When  a  speaker  in  the  British 
Parliament  declared  that  "with  all  the  money  in  the 
world  and  half  its  population"  a  railroad  could  never 
be  constructed  around  the  Falls  of  the  Madeira,  in 
Brazil,  he  was  cheered  and  believed.  But  commerce 
later  demanded  the  road,  and  today  its  trains  are  run- 
ning along  212  miles  of  jungle  road  transporting  the 
products  of  the  forests  to  the  markets  of  the  world. 

An  unlimited  number  of  good  positions  are  not  open 
today;  but  they  are  beginning  to  loom  up  on  the  business 
horizon,  and  to  the  young  man  who  cares  to  "follow 
up"  these  chances  the  course  is  open. 

To  him  who  holds  a  good  position  and  the  prospects 
of  future  advancement  appear  bright,  it  may  be  well 
to  remain  content  within  the  homeland.  There  are, 
however,  many  young  men  who  have  few  if  any  home 

162 


CONCLUSION  163 

ties,  gloomy  prospects,  and  who  possess  the  wanderlust; 
young  men  who  have  health,  education,  character, 
energy,  and  a  longing  to  go  somewhere  to  "grow  up 
with  the  country."  To  such  spirits  perhaps  no  section 
of  the  world  offers  greater  possibilities  than  the  vast 
region  stretching  from  the  Rio  Grande  to  the  Straits  of 
Magellan.  Like  all  good  and  great  accomplishments, 
however,  "which  come  not  at  the  nod  or  behest  of  an 
idle  hand,"  success  in  Latin  America,  as  in  other  lands, 
will  scarcely  be  without  long  and  patient  toil,  but  a 
toil  that  promises  recompense  commensurate  with 
character,  ambition  and  the  labor  expended. 


APPENDIX 

COMPANIES   WITH   OFFICES   IN  THE   UNITED   STATES   THAT 

ARE   ENGAGED  IN   ACTIVE  CONSTRUCTION  WORK  IN 

LATIN   AMERICA.1 

Argentina. 

Argentine  Railways  Co.,  25  Broad  St.,  New  York  City. 
Capital  $30,000,000  ordinary  and  $15,000,000  preferred  shares. 
Has  purchased  several  of  the  principal  railways  in  Argentina. 

Bolivia 

Bolivia  Development  and  Colonization  Co.,  25  Broad  St., 
New  York  City,  Capital  $25,000,000.  Agriculture,  mining, 
railway,  colonization  and  other  enterprises  in  Bolivia. 

Bolivia  Railway  Co,,  45  Nassau  St.,  New  York  City. 

Brazil 

Brazil  Railway  Co.,  25  Broad  St.,  New  York  City,  Owns  or 
controls  over  5,000  miles  of  railway  in  southern  Brazil,  and 
Madeira-Mamore  Railway  in  Amazon  region. 

Brazil  Development  and  Colonization  Co.,  25  Broad  St., 
New  York  City.  Cattle  breeding,  rubber  planting,  making 
jerked  beef,  etc.,  in  Brazil. 

Bahia  Tramway,  Light  and  Power  Co.,  25  Broad  St.,  New 
York  City.  Street  railways,  electric  light  and  power  in  the 
city  of  Bahia. 

Rio  de  Janeiro  Tramway,  Light  and  Power  Co.,  115  Broad- 
way, New  York  City.  Street  railways,  electric  light  and  power 
in  the  city  of  Rio  de  Janeiro, 

Sao  Paulo  Tramway,  Light  and  Power  Co.,  115  Broadway, 
New  York  City.  Street  railways,  electric  light  and  power  in 
the  city  of  Sao  Paulo. 

Para  Construction  Co.,  25  Broad  St.,  New  York  City.  Port 
Works  at  Para,  Brazil. 

J  This  list  was  compiled  and  furnished  by  the  Pan-American 
Union,  Washington,  D.  C. 

164 


APPENDIX  165 

Brazil 

Rio  de  Janeiro  Hotel  Co.,  25  Broad  St.,  New  York  City. 
Constructing  Hotels  in  Rio  de  Janeiro  and  other  Brazilian 
cities. 

Guinle  &  Co.,  42  Broadway,  New  York  City.  Exporters 
and  electrical  contractors. 

Sao  Paulo  Development  &  Colonization  Co.,  25  Broad  St., 
New  York  City.  Cattle  breeding  and  agricultural  enterprises 
in  Brazil. 

Amazon  Development  &  Colonization  Co.,  25  Broad  St., 
New  York  City. 

Central  America,  West  Indies,  Colombia,  Panama  and  Cuba. 

United  Fruit  Co.,  17  Battery  Place,  New  York  City;  321  St. 
Charles  St.,  New  Orleans,  La.  Banana  plantations,  railroad 
and  steamship  lines. 

Atlantic  Fruit  &  Steamship  Co.,  11  Broadway,  New  York 
City.  Banana  plantations,  railroad  and  steamship  lines. 

Chile 

E.  I.  du  Pont  de  Nemours  Powder  Co.,  Wilmington,  Dela- 
ware. Have  nitrate  mines  at  Delaware,  Chile. 

W.  R.  Grace  &  Co.,  Hanover  Square,  New  York  City. 
Steamship  lines,  banking  and  general  exporting  and  importing 
business. 

Braden  Copper  Mines  Co.,  165  Broadway,  New  York  City. 
Large  copper  mines  near  Santiago,  Chile. 

Bethlehem  Iron  Mines  Co.,  Bethlehem,  Pa.  Owns  large 
iron  deposits  in  Chile. 

Chile  Exploitation  Company,  New  York  City.  Have  large 
copper  deposits  at  Chuquicamata,  Province  of  Antofagasta, 
Chile. 

Costa  Rica 

Abaugares  Gold  Fields  of  Costa  Rica,  17  Battery  Place,  New 
York  City. 

Cuba 

United  Railways  of  Havana,  52  Broadway,  New  York  City. 
Owns  steam  railways  throughout  Cuba. 


166      CHANCES   IN   SOUTH  AND   CENTRAL  AMERICA 

Cienfuegos,  Palmira  and  Cruces  Electric  Railway  &  Power 
Co.,  149  Broadway,  New  York  City.  Electric  railways  be- 
tween Cienfuegos  and  other  cities,  and  electric  power  plants. 

Cuba  Railroad  Co.,  170  Broadway,  New  York  City. 

Cuban  Central  Railways,  Ltd.,  290  Broadway,  New  York 
City. 

Havana  Central  Railway  (electric),  52  Broadway,  New  York 
City.  Suburban  line  running  from  Havana. 

Guantanamo  &  Western  Railroad  Co.,  82  Beavers  Street, 
New  York  City. 

Havana  Electric  Railway,  Light  and  Power  Co.,  55  Liberty 
St.,  New  York  City.  Electric  street  railway  lines,  light,  power, 
and  gas  plants  in  Havana. 

Cuban  and  Pan-American  Express  Co.,  25  Broad  St.,  New 
York  City.  Express  service  in  Cuba. 

Cuban  Telephone  Co.,  60  Broadway,  New  York  City.  Tele- 
phone lines  in  Cuba. 

Spanish-American  Iron  Co.,  71  Broadway,  New  York  City. 
Iron  mines  at  Preston,  Cuba. 

Ecuador 

Guayaquil  &  Quito  Railway  Co.,  25  Broad  St.,  New  York 
City. 

Moore  &  Fox,  Engineers  and  Contractors,  2  Rector  St.,  New 
York  City.  Contractors  for  government  railway  from  Ambato 
to  Curaray  River,  Ecuador. 

Guatemala  and  Salvador 

International  Railways  of  Central  America,  17  Battery 
Place,  New  York  City.  Owns  Guatemala  Central  and  Guate- 
mala Railway  in  Guatemala,  and  railway  from  La  Union  to 
San  Miguel  in  Salvador. 

Haiti 

National  Railroad  of  Haiti,  55  Wall  St.,  New  York  City. 

Caribbean  Construction  Co.,  55  Wrall  St.,  New  York  City. 
Constructing  line  of  national  railroad  of  Haiti  across  that 
Republic. 


APPENDIX  167 

Honduras 

Honduras  Railroad  Co.,  42  Broadway,  New  York  City. 

Vaccaro  Brothers,  New  Orleans,  La.  Railroad  and  steam- 
ship lines,  banana  plantations,  general  importers. 

Hubbard-Zemurray  Co.,  Mobile,  Alabama.  Railroad  and 
steamship  lines,  banana  plantations,  general  importers. 

New  York  and  Honduras  Rosario  Mining  Co.,  42  Broadway, 
New  York  City.  Gold  mines  in  Honduras. 

Mexico 

American  Smelting  &  Refining  Co.,  165  Broadway,  New 
York  City.  Authorized  Capital,  $50,000,000.  Owns  many 
smelting  and  refining  works  in  Mexico. 

Coahuila  Coal  Railway,  11  Broadway,  New  York  City. 

Interoceanic  Railway  of  Mexico,  Ltd.,  25  Broad  St.,  New 
York  City. 

Kansas  City,  Mexico  and  Orient  Railway  Co.,  290  Broad- 
way, New  York  City. 

Mexican  Mineral  Ry.  Co.,  82  Beaver  St.,  New  York  City. 

Mexican  National  Construction  Co.,  25  Broad  St.,  New 
York  City. 

Mexican  Northern  Ry.  Co.,  82  Beaver  St.,  New  York  City. 

Mexican  Northwestern  Ry.  Co.,  20  Exchange  PI.,  New 
York  City. 

Mexico  Tramways  Co.,  Ltd.,  115  Broadway,  New  York 
City.  Owns  Street  Railways  of  Mexico  City. 

National  Railways  of  Mexico,  25  Broad  St.,  New  York  City. 

Cananea  Central  Copper  Co.,  Alworth  Building,  Duluth, 
Minn.  Authorized  capital,  $10,000,000. 

Greene  Consolidated  Copper  Co.,  42  Broadway,  New  York 
City.  Authorized  capital,  $10,000,000. 

Mexican  Eagle  Oil  Co.,  Ltd.,  32  Broadway,  New  York  City. 

Oil  Fields  of  Mexico  Co.,  576  Fifth  Avenue,  New  York  City. 
Capital,  $5,500,000. 

Pacific  Smelting  &  Refining  Co.,  42  Broadway,  New  York 
City.  Capital  stock,  $8,000,000. 


168      CHANCES   IN   SOUTH   AND   CENTRAL  AMERICA 

Southern  Pacific  R.  R.  Co.,  of  Mexico,  165  Broadway,  New 
York  City. 

Tehuan tepee  National  Ry.  Co.,  32  Broadway,  New  York 
City. 

Panama 

Panama  Railroad  Co.,  24  State  Street,  New  York  City. 

Isthmian  Canal  Commission,  Washington,  D.  C.  Employs 
all  men  for  work  on  the  Canal. 

Isthmian  Engineering  and  Coj  itruction  Co.,  Empire,  C.  Z. 
Capital,  $250,000.  Formed  by  employees  of  Panama  Canal  to 
carry  on  contracting  and  engineering  in  Latin  America. 

R.  W.  Hebard  Co.,  New  York  City  and  Panama,  R.  P. 
Construction  company.  Have  contract  for  surveying  electric 
lines  in  Panama,  and  for  building  80  miles  of  railway. 

Panama  Tramways  Co.,  Minor  C.  Keith,  Pres.,  17  Battery 
Place,  New  York  City. 

Paraguay 

New  York  and  Paraguay  Co.,  17  Battery  Place,  New  York 
City.  Capital,  $1,500,000.  Owns  over  900,000  acres  of  timber 
lands,  many  cattle,  railroad,  stores,  etc.,  in  Paraguay. 

Peru 

Peruvian  Corporation.  An  English  company  operating  the 
principal  railroads  in  Peru.  Employs  many  Americans.  Ad- 
dress J.  E.  McCulloch,  General  Manager,  Lima,  Peru. 

W.  R.  Grace  &  Co.,  Hanover  Square,  New  York  City. 
Steamship  lines,  banking  and  general  exporting  and  importing 
business. 

Cerro  de  Pasco  Mining  Co.,  115  Broad  St.,  New  York  City. 
Large  copper  and  coal  mines  at  Cerro  de  Pasco,  Peru,  and 
railroads. 

Amazon  &  Pacific  R.  R.  Co,,  Trenton,  N.  J.  A.  W.  McCune, 
Manager,  Lima,  Peru.  Building  Railway  from  Cerra  de  Pasco 
Railway  to  headwaters  of  Amazon  River.  A.  C.  Imbrie,  18 
Vesey  St.,  New  York  City,  Legal  Representative. 

Peru  Gold  Placers,  Inc.,  Wilmington,  Delaware.  Capital, 
$20,000,000.  Formed  to  mine  gold  along  Marafion  River  in 
Peru. 


APPENDIX  169 

Uruguay 

Pan-American  Transcontinental  Railway  Co.,  84  William 
St.,  New  York  City.  Constructing  railway  across  Uruguay 
from  Colonia  to  Brazilian  frontier. 

Venezuela 

New  York  and  Bermudez  Co.,  30  Church  St.,  New  York 
City.  Has  asphalt  deposits  at  Guanoco,  Venezuela. 

Venezuela  Sugar  Co.,  82  Wall  St.,  New  York  City.  Capital, 
$4,000,000.  Incorporated  in  state  of  Delaware  to  manufacture 
and  raise  sugar  cane  as  well  as  other  tropical  products  in 
Venezuela. 

Imataca  Iron  Co.,  25  Broad  St.,  New  York  City.  Own 
large  iron  deposits  at  Imataca,  Venezuela.  Ship  to  Philadel- 
phia, Pa. 

North  and  South  America 

The  J.  C.  White  Engineering  Corporation,  43  Exchange 
Place,  New  York  City.  General  contractors. 

SOME   OP  THE   LEADING   PERIODICALS   OF  THE   UNITED   STATES 
THAT  PAY  SPECIAL  ATTENTION  TO   LATIN  AMERICA 

American  Exporter,  17  Battery  Place,  New  York. 

Dun's  Review,  International  Edition,  209  Broadway,  New 
York. 

America  e  Industrias  Americanas  (Spanish),  30  Church  St., 
New  York. 

Journal  of  Commerce  and  Commercial  Bulletin,  New  York. 

India  Rubber  World,  15  West  38th  St.,  New  York. 

New  York  Herald,  New  York. 

El  Comercio  (Spanish),  126  Liberty  St.,  New  York. 

The  South  American,  1  Broadway,  New  York. 

Revista  Pan-Americana  (Spanish),  148  Broadway,  New  York. 

Las  Novedades  (Spanish),  108  Fulton  St.,  New  York. 

Travel  Magazine,  New  York. 

Cuba  Review,  92  Beaver  St.,  New  York. 

Latin  America  (English  &  Spanish),  502  Board  of  Trade 
Bldg.,  New  Orleans,  La. 


170      CHANCES   IN   SOUTH  AND   CENTRAL  AMERICA 

Mer curio  (Spanish),  Progressive  Union  Bldg.,  New  Orleans, 
La. 

Pan-American  Magazine,  Board  of  Trade  Bldg.,  New  Or- 
leans, La. 

Pan- American  Review  (English  &  Spanish),  Canal-Louisiana 
Bank  Bldg.,  New  Orleans,  La. 

Picayune,  New  Orleans,  La. 

Christian  Science  Monitor,  Boston,  Mass. 

Bay  View  Magazine,  Detroit,  Mich. 

Revista  Ilustrada  y  Boletin  Comercial  (Spanish),  Carleton 
Bldg.,  St.  Louis,  Mo. 

La  Hacienda  (Spanish),  Buffalo,  New  York. 

Commercial  American,  24th  St.,  below  Spruce,  Philadelphia, 
Pa. 

Pacific  Marine  Review,  Seattle,  Washington. 

Railway  and  Marine  News,  Seattle,  Washington. 

Overland  Monthly,  Los  Angeles,  California. 

Pan-American  Progress,  304  Wilcox  Bldg.,  Los  Angeles,  Cal. 

Sunset  Magazine,  Los  Angeles,  Cal. 

Theosophical  Path,  Point  Loma,  Cal. 

Sister  Republics  (English  &  Spanish),  Denver,  Colo. 

PROMINENT  UNITED  STATES   FIRMS   ENGAGED   IN  TRADE 
WITH   LATIN  AMERICA 

G.  Amsinck  &  Co.,  6  Hanover  Square,  New  York  City. 
General  Importers. 

D.  Appleton  &  Co.,  New  York  City.    Publishers. 

Agar,  Cross  &  Co.,  11  Broadway,  New  York  City.  General 
importers  and  exporters. 

Allis-Chalmers  Co.,  Milwaukee,  Wis.  Mining,  milling  and 
smelting  machinery. 

American  Laundry  Machine  Co.,  Cincinnati,  Ohio. 

Anheuser-Busch  Brewing  Co.,  St.  Louis,  Mo. 

Ault  &  Wiborg  Co.,  Cincinnati,  Ohio.     Printing  inks. 

American  Shoe  Machinery  Co.,  Boston,  Mass. 

Atlantic  Fru  t  and  Steamship  Co.,  New  York  City.  Fruit 
importers;  owns  steamship  lines,  railroads,  and  plantations. 

American  Trading  Co.,  New  York  City. 

Aeolian  Co.,  New  York  City.    Musical  instruments. 


APPENDIX  171 

American  Cotton  Oil  Co.,  New  York  City. 

American  Car  &  Foundry  Co.,  165  Broadway,  New  York 
City. 

Baldwin  Locomotive  Works,  Philadelphia,  Pa. 

Baldwin  Piano  Co.,  Cincinnati,  Ohio. 

Blymyer  Iron  Works,  Cincinnati,  Ohio.  Sugar  mill  and 
other  machinery. 

Brill  Co.,  The  J.  G.,  Philadelphia,  Pa.  Railroad  and  street 
car  manufacturers. 

Burroughs  Adding  Machine  Co.,  Detroit,  M  chigan. 

Brunswick-Balke-Collender  Co.,  New  York  City.  Pool  and 
billiard  tables. 

Bethlehem  Steel  Co.,  Philadelphia,  Pa. 

Buffalo  Specialty  Co.,  Buffalo,  N.  Y.  Lubricating  oils, 
veneers,  emery  grinders. 

Burns  &  Sons,  J.,  600  West  43rd  St.,  New  York  City.  Coffee 
roasting  machinery. 

Boston  Blacking  Co.,  Boston,  Mass. 

Broderick  &  Bascom  Rope  Co.,  St.  Louis,  Mo. 

Best  Light  Co.,  Canton,  Ohio.    Gasoline  lamps. 

Carter's  Ink  Co.,  440  Pearl  Street,  New  York  City. 

Columbia  Phonograph  Co.,  New  York  City. 

Colt's  Fire  Arms  Manufacturing  Co.,  Hartford,  Conn. 

Chattanooga  Implement  &  Mfg.  Co.,  Chattanooga,  Tenn. 
Agricultural  implements. 

Cincinnati  Lathe  &  Tool  Co.,  Cincinnati,  Ohio. 

Comas  Cigarette  Machine  Co.,  Salem,  Virginia. 

Commonwealth  Shoe  Co.,  Whitman,  Mass. 

Chattanooga  Medicine  Co.,  Chattanooga,  Tenn. 

Canton  Culvert  Co.,  Canton,  Ohio.    Metal  drain  pipe. 

DuPont  de  Nemours  Powder  Co.,  Wilmington,  Delaware. 

Dixon  Crucible  Co.,  Joseph,  Jersey  City,  N.  J. 

Dun  &  Co.,  R.  G.,  290  Broadway,  New  York  City. 

Dennison  Manufacturing  Co.,  South  Framingham,  Mass. 
Paper  bags,  boxes,  etc. 

Empire  Plow  Co.,  Cleveland,  Ohio.  Agricultural  imple- 
ments. 

Eastman  Kodak  Co.,  New  York  City  and  Rochester,  N.  Y. 

Florsheim  &  Co.,  Chicago,  111.     Shoe  manufacturers. 


172      CHANCES   IN   SOUTH   AND   CENTRAL   AMERICA 

Fairbanks  Co.,  Broome  &  Lafayette  Sts.,  New  York  City. 
Scales,  valves,  wheelbarrows. 

General  Electric  Co.,  Schenectady,  N.  Y. 

Glidden  Varnish  Co.,  Cleveland,  Ohio. 

Grace  &  Co. ,  W.  R. ,  Hanover  Square,  New  York  City.  Gen- 
eral importers  and  exporters,  bankers,  steamship  owners. 

General  Motors  Export  Co.,  Detroit,  Michigan.  Motor 
cars. 

Guinle  &  Co.,  42  Broadway,  New  York  City.  General  con- 
tractors. 

General  Fireproofing  Co.,  396  Broadway,  New  York  City. 

Goodyear's  Rubber  Co.,  Akron,  Ohio. 

Harlan  Hollingsworth  Corporation,  Wilmington,  Delaware. 

Heinz  Co.,  The  H.  J.,  Pittsburgh,  Pa.    Pickles  and  preserves. 

Hardman,  Peck  &  Co.,  New  York  City.  Piano  manufac- 
turers. 

Hamilton  Brown  Shoe  Co.,  St.  Louis,  Mo. 

Hanan  &  Co.,  Brooklyn,  N.  Y.     Shoe  manufacturers. 

Horlick's  Malted  Milk  Co.,  Racine,  Wisconsin. 

Herring-Hall-Marvin  Safe  Co.,  New  York  City. 

International  Paper  Co.,  New  York  City. 

International  Harvester  Co.  of  America,  Chicago,  Illinois. 

Jones  &  Laughlin  Steel  Co.,  Pittsburgh,  Pa.  Structural 
steel. 

Jeffrey  Manufacturing  Co.,  Columbus,  Ohio.    Machinery. 

Keystone  Watch  Case  Co.,  Philadelphia,  Pa. 

Keith  Co.,  George  K.,  Brockton,  Mass.  Shoe  manufac- 
turers. 

Lyon  &  Healy,  Chicago,  Illinois.  Music  and  musical  instru- 
ments. 

Lippincott  Co.,  J.  B.,  Washington  Square,  Philadelphia,  Pa. 
Publishers. 

Lodge  &  Shipley  Machine  Tool  Co.,  Cincinnati,  Ohio. 

Mergenthaler  Linotype  Co.,  New  York  City.  Typesetting 
machines. 

Mengel  &  Brother  Co.,  C.  C.,  Louisville,  Ky.  Lumber 
manufacturers. 

Macey  Co.,  Grand  Rapids,  Michigan.    Office  furniture. 


APPENDIX  173 

Mersereau  Metal  Bed  Co.,  278  Johnston  Avenue,  Jersey 
City,  N.  J.  Metal  beds. 

Montgomery  Ward  &  Co.,  Chicago,  Illinois.  Mail  order 
house. 

National  Cash  Register  Co.,  Dayton,  Ohio. 

National  Paper  &  Type  Co.,  Burling  Slip,  New  York  City. 

National  Electric  Signal  Co.,  Pittsburgh,  Pa. 

National  Packing  Co.,  Chicago,  111.    Meats. 

Otis  Elevator  Co.,  New  York  City. 

Pearson  Engineering  Corporation,  Ltd.,  115  Broadway, 
New  York  City.  Purchasing  agents  for  railroad  and  other 
companies. 

Pabst  Brewing  Co.,  Milwaukee,  Wisconsin. 

Pendleton  &  Kilkey,  917  White  Building,  Seattle,  Washing- 
ton. Lumber  and  timber  land  dealers. 

Quaker  Oats  Co.,  New  York  City. 

Remington  Typewriter  Co.,  New  York  City. 

Rock  Island  Plow  Co.,  Rock  Island,  Illinois. 

Simmons  Hardware  Co.,  New  York  City. 

Stetson  Co . ,  John  B . ,  Philadelphia,  Pa .    Hat  manufacturers . 

Singer  Sewing  Machine  Co.,  New  York  City. 

Studebaker  Brothers  Mfg.  Co.,  South  Bend,  Indiana. 
Wagons,  carriages,  automobiles. 

Stearns'  Electric  Paste  Co.,  Peoples  Gas  Bldg.,  Chicago, 
111.  Rat  and  roach  paste. 

U.  S.  Playing  Card  Co.,  Cincinnati,  Ohio. 

United  Fruit  Co.,  17  Battery  Place,  New  York  City.  Fruit 
importers;  own  steamship  and  railroad  lines  and  plantations. 

Victor  Talking  Machine  Co.,  New  York  City. 

J.  G.  White  Engineering  Corporation,  43-49  Exchange  Place, 
New  York  City.  General  contractors. 

Waterman  Ideal  Fountain  Pen  Co.,  New  York  City. 

Westinghouse  Air  Brake  Co.,  New  York  City. 

White  Sewing  Machine  Co.,  New  York  City. 

Wurlitzer  Co.,  Rudolph,  Cincinnati,  Ohio.  Musical  instru- 
ments. 

Yale  &  Towne  Manufacturing  Co.,  9  Murray  Street,  New 
York  City.  Locks  and  builders'  hardware. 


TTTTQ   t>«~ 

THIS  BOOK  IS  DUE 


RECEIVED 

27194  ju«,  3 '69 -11  AM 


NOV  8  133$ 


r 


I U     O  I  00  I 


LOAN  DEPT 


— 


